Marc and Heather Morris of Bentonville have sold most of their belongings and their mobile petting zoo and resigned from the careers they’ve loved. After a 15-year stretch as a police officer (Marc) and decades of foster parenting and community involvement, the couple have moved to Ecuador to serve a less fortunate orphan population than the one in the United States.

They will be serving through the Global Orphan Initiative.

The initiative standsapart from other local nonprofit organizations because it combines the financial support of corporate America with that from regional churches. Donations from businesses go toward special projects and additional staffing of selected orphanages in countries that the corporations regularly do business in. Donations from churches finance expenses for the volunteers.

The founders of the initiative, Matt and Tanya Fifer of Bentonville, chose friends and fellow church members the Morrises to be the directors of the pilot project for the initiative,and it seems they couldn’t have picked more willing subjects.

“Everywhere, there are children suffering,” Heather Morris said. “To be able to meet the needs of those children is just … rewarding, whether they are here or in Ecuador.”

When they were younger, the Morrises took mission trips abroad. Once they met, their mutual love for children and mission work fused a bond that has strengthened over the years. Since the beginningof their marriage, the couple have hosted 103 foster children and adopted four children, in addition to caring for their four biological offspring.

“Ever since we’ve been married, we’ve wanted to do [something like this],” Heather Morris said.

The purpose of their relocation is to be a trusted source that Northwest Arkansas businesses can call to verify the needs of the eight orphanages in Ecuador they would be donating to - locations selected by volunteers on a previous trip. The Morrises are learning Spanish but are not yet fluent. They are taking seven of their eight kids with them to Ecuador.

“We’ll be keeping our finger on the pulse of the needs of the different orphanages we’ve identified already,” Marc Morris said.

This close-up view of life for orphans in Ecuador is critical, something that’s hard to explain to those who haven’t lived there.

“In one orphanage, they needed an elevator becausethey had a whole bunch of kids who were disabled,” Morris said. “It was a two-story facility, so the tias [‘aunts’ or caretakers] would have to carry these kids, some as old as 14, 15, up and down the stairs for their therapy and such.”

More than seeing the needs firsthand, the couple will be able to better form volunteer teams when they live there.

“When people do come in to help, they can match them up on their skill level and take them where that skill is needed,” Heather Morris said.

The organization is just getting off the ground, but volunteers hope the Ecuador project will be a successful one so the effects can spread around the world.

“Matt [Fifer] is really interested in the possibility of being able to have teams come from these major corporations [that donate to Global Orphan Initiative],” Marc Morris said. “He is strategically located here in Bentonville, with all these vendors having offices here, and he wants to see teams from these corporations be willing to send groups down to these orphanages and spend a weekworking” so they see the need for themselves and have a chance for a team-building experience.

More than specialty skills are needed. Morris said the importance of manpower is grossly underestimated.

“I was under the impression more that teams were somewhat helpful but somewhat inconvenient also, but that’s not the truth at all,” he said. “If you know what you need to have done and a team that can match it, you can get down there and accomplish an incredible amount. It’s not just something that’s handy to have.It’s necessary.”

The Morrises will be strengthening the orphanage operations already in place, a task that comes with a receptive audience since the orphanages’ staff already expressed a desire to take in more children if they have the money to hire more help.

“Our goal is to lift the quality of these orphanages around the world and be able to meet the needs of more children,” Heather Morris said. “To actually be able to meet their needs, rather than just have a place to rest their heads at night.

“If we are able to meet the needs of one child, then it’s been a success.” For more information on Global Orphan Initiative or opportunitiesfor corporate involvement, visit globalorphaninitiative.com, call (479) 426-1216 or email [email protected]

Northwest Profile, Pages 35 on 09/08/2013