Lillie and her husband Melvin pause with friend Arlene Ugbaja of NCGives at the NSR Awards ceremony.
MAGNOLIA, NC (December 2007) - As a young child, all Lillie Sanders had to ward off winter chills on the way to school was her grandmother's old housecoat.
"I didn't want to make grandma feel bad, so I wore the coat to the bus stop, then hid it in the woods and got on the school bus. Children picked on me so bad and I froze many days after I left that housecoat in the woods. When the bus dropped me off, I'd get the bathrobe from where I left it and wear it home," Lillie recalls.
As a twelve-year-old, Lillie Sanders suffered the sting of jibes from schoolmates who ridiculed her because she was poor. Fifty years later, she still remembers that feeling of alienation and she works to make sure that no child in her area experiences such taunts. "I promised God that if I ever got grown, people should have clothes they need."
And Lillie Sanders has been true to her word. Although she and her husband have never earned a combined annual income over $25,000, she has organized a giving ministry that has provided an estimated $500,000 in clothes and food to people in need in her home county of Duplin. With no Salvation Army, Red Cross or United Way, many Duplin County residents depend on Lillie and the Sanders Service Center to help meet their most basic needs.
"To me, service is looking after the needs of others," Lillie notes. "It's not about me."
But many North Carolinians agree, Lillie Sanders well deserves any recognition and thanks she may get. One big "thank you" came recently in the form of the prestigious Nancy Susan Reynolds Award, which honors unsung North Carolina heroes who have made a positive impact in their communities. Along with the award came a $20,000 grant for the Sanders Service Center, which is in the planning stages of developing an apartment complex for families who have lost their homes to fire.
Lillie hopes the spirit of giving with which she lives will be contagious. "We got a love bug and everybody's gonna start loving each other, and let's do what's best for each other - just because it's a good thing to do."
Well said, Ms. Lillie. And congratulations - we're proud of you!
Related Videos:
Note: If your computer does not already have a flash player, you will be prompted to download one when you click on the links below (the player is necessary to view the videos).
Watch the Nancy Susan Reynolds Award Tribute Video
Watch Lillie Sanders' Award Acceptance Speech
