Founder and Chairman, Gary Morsch, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Morsch believes every individual is uniquely gifted and called to serve others. In 1993, he helped found One Heart - Many Hands and now serves as its Chairman. In 1992, he helped found Heart to Heart International, a global humanitarian organization where he now serves as president. Morsch also founded Docs Who Care, an organization of family physicians who, like himself, desire the flexibility to practice medicine as well as devote time to volunteer opportunities and medical missions.
Dr. Morsch has received numerous awards, including the President’s Volunteer Action Award, the United Nations Association - Kansas City World Citizen Award, the Points of Light Community Leadership Award, the International Relations Council Community Service Award, the Salvation Army’s Others Award, the Washington Times Foundation’s National Service Award, and the first-ever Humanitarian Award offered by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Morsch has also published five books, the latest of which is The Power of Serving Others: You Can Start Where You Are.
Dr. Morsch has served with distinction in the military, enlisting at the age of 17 during the Vietnam War. He holds the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, and has deployed to Iraq, Kosovo, and Germany. A devoted husband and father, Gary and his wife Vickie reside on a farm near Kansas City.
George Sisler, President
Going back more than 10 years, I never imagined that One Heart - Many Hands would grow to the point that we would be assisting with projects in places as far away as Gaza. But as we continue to join with others to make good on the mission of "improving the quality of life wherever there is need," we find ourselves today working with both Israelis and Palestinians, making a small contribution to promoting peace and understanding in that part of the world.
Closer to home, we are offering team building and volunteer opportunities for larger conferences and conventions that will not only unify teams, but address needs in host cities and nearby venues.
We are also seeking long term relationships with communities for year-round, ongoing projects and volunteer opportunities. We are providing counsel and direction to local corporations and organizations seeking to develop their own volunteer projects and charitable portfolios.
And we continue to simply link needs with resources (gifts, talents and abilities) in order to improve living conditions of people with whom we always discover we have more common ground, than differences.
I accepted leadership with One Heart - Many Hands after serving for many years as a volunteer. Through both experiences, I have learned more than anything else: people who take honest inventories of themselves find they have something meaningful and useful to share with someone else in need. As so much of our work has focused on facilitating relationships and resources, I am no longer surprised that this organization has found an opportunity to serve in Gaza. And in the same way, I will not be surprised when I have the wonderful opportunity of serving with you.