Arlington organization helps make the holidays less stressful for families
ARLINGTON – The holidays can be a stressful time, especially for families without the means to pay for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner or the gifts to go under the Christmas tree.
That's where Tillie Burgin and Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex come in.
Every holiday season, they serve several thousand families. And it's just one small part of a much larger mission – nearly four decades in the making.
From well before the sun comes up in the morning until long after dark, Burgin, or Miss Tillie as she's known, manages all aspects of the faith-based mission that she started nearly 40 years ago. She's greeted with hugs and smiles as she moves from room to room and building to building at the Mission's facilities in Central Arlington.
And at 88 years old, she has no intention of slowing down – because the need shows no signs of slowing.
"The economy? It's been very difficult on people," she said. "And so food, clothes, we average 250 families a day. I'd say 200 to 250 families a day. And families, more than just four [members per family]. So you can add that up."
And Mission Arlington did do the math.
It estimates that, so far this year, an average of 656 people have come through its front doors every single day.
And no matter what they need – whether it's food, clothes, housing, or medical or dental care – Burgin and the team of volunteers at Mission Arlington aim to help them.
Because for the Mission, it's all about one thing: helping people with the things that are important in their lives, while helping them understand God's love with no strings attached.
"We're a very small part, just a drop in the bucket, but we want to be faithful to what He's calling us to do," Burgin said.
And this is the time of year when things really get busy. Last year, Mission Arlington fed 6,000 people at Thanksgiving.
But they don't do a soup line because they feel there's no dignity in that. Instead, families receive either fully cooked or uncooked meals, depending on their preference, and on Thanksgiving morning, thousands of volunteers deliver them.
"You know a turkey dinner, what's that going to cost you? $200? And they don't have any extras. So we come in now with the extras. So their kids can say we had a turkey dinner when they go back to school," Burgin said.
And with no time to rest between holidays, they'll then begin preparing for Christmas.
"We started the Christmas store because people were coming in and saying I spent all my rent money to buy toys. It's the same concept. Toys and turkeys and trees. Let us do those extras that create crisis in people's lives," Burgin said.
After listening to a reading of the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, parents are able to shop in the Mission's sprawling Christmas store for toys, bikes and other gifts for their children.
Last year, 36,000 kids received toys from the Mission, but it's never just a hand-out.
For Burgin, it is – and always has been – a promise to be there for those who need it.
"Doing life with people is different than just handing out food and clothes," she said. "And so that's what the Mission does."
And will continue to do day in and day out.
If you're interested in helping, the Mission is always looking for volunteers and donations of gently-used clothing and furniture.
The Mission says you can give with confidence knowing that more than 98 cents of every dollar donated goes straight to the people who need it.