“Don’t think of service as an obligation, but think of it as a cause.” – Words of wisdom from Cathedral Catholic’s James Morris, who has accumulated a total of over one thousand Christian Service hours.

James Morris, a senior at Cathedral Catholic High School, admits that earning one thousand service hours was, “not a goal, it just happened over time.” He donates much of his time to charities and programs that benefit missing and abused children.

Two of James’ favorite organizations include “Army of Angels” and Rady Children’s Hospital Chadwick Center, one of the largest child advocacy and trauma treatment centers in the nation.

James is also a soon-to-be “Miracle Maker” at Rady Children’s, which defines this role as “individuals, clubs, businesses or groups of friends who hold fundraising events for Rady Children’s.”

One of James’ main influences to serve the community originates from a conference he attended years ago, where he listened to a woman who explained that her sister had been missing for some time, and she was looking for assistance from high school students. James says that his original attitude was that helping was just another way to earn Christian Service hours, but the experience then turned his view of service hours from, “an obligation to a purpose.”

An accomplished musician, James also earns many service hours by posting fliers at his band’s performances to draw attention to child abuse and raise awareness of ways to help.

James also likes to serve the community by working to keep music in schools, donating his time to “Guitars for Vets,” an association that teaches war veterans how to play and enjoy the guitar.

James Morris confirms he is positive that he will maintain a high standard of service even after high school graduation.

James has an upcoming performance at SOMA on October 6th (doors open at 7:00 p.m.). The primary bands at the performance include “The After Party” and “Hollywood Ending.”

James enjoys writing as well and intends to sell his new book, “Skybound,” at the October show. He describes the book as a, “Young adult dystopian sci-fi military adventure.” To find out more about James’ books click here.