Volunteer learned charity from family

EVERETT — Todd Morrow didn’t need to stay home.

With degrees in linguistics, law and public affairs from Stanford University and the University of Washington, the Everett native could have lived anywhere. Instead, he sunk his roots deep into his hometown.

As a young man, Morrow helped start Housing Hope, a Snohomish County affordable housing and services agency that helps low-income and homeless families. A past president and longtime Housing Hope board member, Morrow, 46, who works as public affairs director for Community Transit, continues to volunteer for the grass-roots group.

“You get back so much more than you give when you work for an effective organization such as Housing Hope,” he said. “I get to work with great people who truly care for others.”

Housing Hope recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, having grown from a 12-unit apartment complex offering emergency housing to an agency with 268 housing units at 17 sites throughout the county. And there are plans for more. Morrow said he’s amazed at the growth.

Quick to praise others for their work at Housing Hope, Morrow modestly claims that his family background is what set him up for his commitment to the agency.

“My grandfather, an engineer at an Everett iron works plant, was one of those guys who always took care of people,” he said. “I was raised that in a community we’re all in this together.”

His mother, Shirley Morrow, a retired kindergarten teacher, has long helped others, especially through the family church, Everett First ­Presbyterian. His father, Ed Morrow, is a former Everett city councilman and port commissioner. Scott Morrow, Todd’s older brother, is active in issues of homelessness in Seattle.

Other life experiences have set the course for Morrow’s work for Housing Hope, he said.

An Eagle Scout and a 1980 graduate of Cascade High School, Morrow studied linguistics at Stanford, where his adviser helped further Morrow’s belief that every human has value. Morrow studied language in Barbados, which helped build his view of the world as a community, he said.

A summer spent working for U.S. Sen. Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson in Washington, D.C., helped encourage Morrow’s bent toward public service.

“He was a regular guy who loved Everett,” Morrow said of the late senator. “He was remarkable on many levels and a great inspiration.”

After graduating from the UW School of Law in 1987, Morrow took a job in a small Everett law firm, but quickly switched to work as a Snohomish County public defender.

“That experience colored a lot of who I am, too,” Morrow said. “I got to know a lot of repeat offenders and found that providing a little bit of self-esteem for some people went a long way to changing lives.”

Providing self-esteem for Housing Hope clients has been key, too, he said.

“Our work lets them know we care. Providing nice housing they can feel proud of and safe in is important,” he said.

Katherine Cook, a former Housing Hope client who later become an agency board member, said Morrow continues to be in touch with her family.

“Housing Hope was there when our family needed help,” said Cook, who is no longer on the board. “Todd is a good friend and he’s still there.”

Morrow was a green lawyer when he joined the effort to start the agency, said Ed Peter­sen, Housing Hope’s executive director.

“His mom was instrumental in getting him involved. She wanted Todd to step up,” Peter­sen said. “He learned quickly and became a leader, with a good heart, a good intellect and great organizational skills. He has never said ‘no’ to any work.”

Initially, Morrow’s work with Housing Hope dealt primarily with handling the agency’s legal affairs. Later as a board member and president, his work involved planning and fundraising.

“We knew from the start that we weren’t just going to provide emergency housing. We could have bought a warehouse and bunk beds, but that wasn’t good enough,” he said. “It was about providing real housing and real hope for the future.”

Morrow, who also volunteers his time with other groups in the county, said he plans to continue his advocacy for Housing Hope and the homeless families of Snohomish County.

“This one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’ll still be here in another 20 years,” Morrow said. “That’s my hope.”

Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.