RASM Recognizes Joshua Morris as ‘Humanitarian’ for Quarter 1 | ELEVATE Magazine

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Good Neighbor Awards recognize Realtors® who make extraordinary commitments to improving the quality of life in their communities. Following this same blueprint, RASM has established our own Humanitarian Award to be bestowed quarterly. RASM’s goal is to recognize the Realtors® who are doing great things in our community.

The RASM Community Outreach Committee has posthumously recognized Joshua Morris, who was a Realtor® with NextHome Excellence, as the RASM “Humanitarian of the Quarter” recipient for the First Quarter of 2021. Tragically, Josh passed away unexpectedly late November 2020. He would have been 36 years old the day after Christmas. He was chosen to receive this honorary recognition for his significant contributions to the community, particularly his involvement his “Thanks for Giving Trees” fundraiser.

Josh was known locally by many for his good deeds and his selfless acts of philanthropy. He had a strong desire to help those in need. His heart went out to those who were in need, especially during this time of year. As a father of four, he knew firsthand how expensive and stressful the holiday season can be. In fact, several years ago, Josh was experiencing financial difficulties and was unable to provide a Christmas tree for his own family. Someone found out about his situation and anonymously dropped off a Christmas tree on the family’s front porch.

That act of kindness profoundly touched Josh, and it sparked a passion in him to do the same act of kindness for as many families as he could. Josh began his own behind-the-scenes operation to provide Christmas trees for families in need. For several years, Josh set money aside during the year to help those in need, especially around Christmastime. He was a Christian man of strong faith, and serving others without personal recognition, was a key aspect of his character. He kept his acts of kindness a secret, never wanting to bring attention to himself. However, he did share his personal mission with his close friend, Alex Krumm.

“One day, Josh happened to mention to me his passion for providing Christmas trees to families in need, and once I heard about it, there was no going back,” said Alex Krumm, Broker with NextHome Excellence and 2021 RASM President. “I was so excited to hit the ground running with this and get more people involved. I knew that with the power of a group dynamic, we could take his humble operation and make it something huge. Josh was so excited to see the ripple effect that took place – so many families would benefit from the generosity of our community.”

The “Thanks for Giving Trees” program was now underway, with a goal of raising enough funds ($5,000) for the purchase of 100 real Christmas trees with stands. Through donations from local businesses and individuals, they ended up beating their goal and were able to bless 126 families with a Christmas tree. The team reached out to local schools, and churches to identify those in need. On December 5, 2020, NextHome Excellence set up a tree lot filled with the 6-to-8-foot Christmas trees, along with free hot cocoa, festive music, roasted marshmallows, and pictures with Santa. Volunteers aided families in picking out trees, wrapping them, and loading them on the cars. It was a beautiful day showing how the generosity of many can make a real difference in someone’s life.

Sadly, Josh passed away shortly before the event and did not have the chance to see firsthand how many people he would impact. However, his fellow volunteers pressed on, as they knew Josh would have wanted. Thanks to Josh’s love for others, organizers are turning Josh’s legacy into an annual event, with the intent to go nationally as well.

“I am so proud of the ‘Thanks for Giving Trees’ event, and I know Josh would have been as well,” said Alex. “He would have been so overwhelmed at the event turnout and thrilled that we are continuing this program on a larger scale.”

“Josh was one of a kind. When he went to work, he naturally gravitated to those in need. He chose to work in real estate so that he could find those hard deals and make them work for the families who needed the help. He set an example for all of us in so many ways. I’m grateful to continue the ‘Thanks for Giving Trees’ program so that his legacy of kindness will live on,” added Alex.

RASM sincerely thanks Josh Morris, NextHome Excellence, and the many volunteers that made the “Thanks for Giving Trees” event a success. For more information on the annual event, visit https:// thanksforgivingtrees.com. Josh left behind a beautiful wife; Hannah Morris, and four children under the age of 6; Levi, Anya, Bella, and Samuel. To help support the family, please consider a donation at https://www. gofundme.com/f/help-for-hannah-morris-and-family. •