When Omar Morris walked into the Boys and Girls Club on West Capitol Street yesterday, he came to give the kids a treat. Morris and his business partner, Vinson Jackson, are donating a computer system to the club.

"I wanted to give it to the Boys and Girls Club because it's a real underserved community," Morris said, adding that a lot of kids at the club don't have access to computers anywhere else, and have never surfed the Internet. "I wanted to put some of the machines in a place where they would be really useful."

The system Morris is donating consists of a host computer and 11 "thin clients," which use the power of the host to run applications. Such a system is less expensive to implement, run and maintain than standalone PCs, making it a relatively low-cost and environmentally friendly option for entities looking to put in new systems or replace outdated computer equipment. Morris says that his brand-new company, EPCIT, is talking to the Jackson Public Schools regarding the possibility of JPS purchasing similar systems.

"With the economy the way it is, people are looking for options instead of buying (more expensive, standalone) PCs," Morris said. "It saves a tremendous amount of money," and will qualify for federal grants under the federal stimulus bill.

Morris, 37, is a native Jacksonian. He attended Green Elementary School before he attended St. Andrews School. He was raised in an environment where thinking of others and giving to the community was simply part of his upbringing. His mother, Euvester Simpson, and his father, Jessie Morris, met during the Civil Rights Movement, and both were heavily involved in bringing voter rights and equality to the people of the state.

Earning a degree in business and economics, Morris graduated in 1994 from Rollins College in Orlando, Fla., but has been a computer guy since his dad brought home a Commodore 64 when he was about 10 years old.

"I've always been interested in computers," Morris says. "Nothing would work in our society without computers, and I find that fascinating."

Previous Comments

ID

150973

Comment

Way to go "O." You're a scholar and a gentleman, and someone I'm proud to have graduated with from SA. Kudos!

Author

GradyGriffin

Date

2009-08-18T13:14:34-06:00

ID

150995

Comment

What a great act of philanthropy. I hope that this act of kindness becomes as contageous as the flu. If each of us just simply did SOMETHING for SOMEONE, the world would be a much better place to live. "Way to go "O".

Author

justjess

Date

2009-08-18T14:51:50-06:00

ID

150998

Comment

Omar and his colleague, Vinson Jackson, were tremendously generous in this act. There's no telling how many disadvantaged teens will now benefit from learning computer skills they otherwise might not have had access to. The Boys & Girls Clubs are doing great work.

Author

BGCCM

Date

2009-08-18T14:59:14-06:00

ID

151009

Comment

Giving Back, giving forward, I love it. Thank you Mr. Morris.

Author

lanier77

Date

2009-08-19T07:36:35-06:00

ID

151384

Comment

Very, very impressive! Please can we get more Omar's in the world?

Author

June Hardwick

Date

2009-08-30T12:58:42-06:00