Few people in Arlington have made a difference like Tillie Burgin. As the founder of Mission Arlington, she has helped change countless lives in our community.
Early Days and Missionary Work
The Lester family moved to Arlington in the 1930s, with Tillie born on August 24, 1936. Patriarch Erman Lester started a gas station and operated it for 45 years. The family lived in what is now Downtown Arlington. Mission Arlington, which Tillie founded on August 1, 1986, is located only a block from the former Lester family homestead.
Tillie graduated from Arlington High School in 1954. She married Bob Burgin in 1956 at the First Baptist Church of Arlington. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from North Texas State University in Denton, now known as UNT. Bob joined the military in 1958 and was stationed in South Korea. Tillie went with him and lived in missionary housing, teaching English there. The couple had two sons, and the family later returned to South Korea as missionaries.
Bob and Tillie returned to Arlington in 1978. Both were educators and worked for the Arlington Independent School District. They realized that if they could do missionary work in South Korea, why not the same in Arlington?
Mission Arlington
Tillie started the nonprofit Mission Arlington in 1986—a faith-based organization providing goods and services to community members who need them. Mission Metroplex began in 1990, greatly expanding the organization’s outreach efforts to assist even more people. For nearly 40 years, Tillie has led Mission Arlington as the Executive Director, truly making a difference in our community and being a tremendous resource.
From humble beginnings, the organization is now something of a juggernaut. Going far beyond clothes and canned food, Mission Arlington provides an array of services, including bible studies, health care, counseling, school supplies, after-school programs, transportation, emergency assistance, and more. The holidays are well-supported, too, especially Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Their Christmas Store, which provides free gifts to children in need, is heartwarming, to say the least. In a given year, they provide gifts to over 30,000 children in 7,500 families. While the gifts are plentiful, they also embrace the reason for the season with scriptures and stories.
Mission Arlington provides all this free of charge, relying on donations and community support. Their motto of “when you give it, we give it away” is a testament to their beautiful, humanitarian spirit. The nonprofit organization is an unparalleled resource in our community and has changed countless lives.
Tillie was named Arlington Citizen Journal “Woman of the Year” in 1990. Since then, she has received countless awards, recognitions, and accolades. Even at age 88, she still shows up daily to help serve the community. Miss Tillie is well-loved throughout Arlington and far beyond.
Photo Credits: Mission Arlington
Blog post by Jason S. Sullivan, 08-01-24
Jason S. Sullivan 