If Greg Rimling has any regrets about his volunteer role at Love Thy Neighbor, it’s that he didn’t get involved sooner.
Rimling is the organization’s clothing assistance program manager. He’s only been with the 15-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit for a little over two years. He had previously given retirement a try after 50 years in corporate America, but that lasted only nine days before he realized that being busy was in his blood.
Around the same time, his wife, Marilyn, who was already passionate about volunteerism, encouraged him to check out the work being done at Love Thy Neighbor. It wasn’t long before he was hooked.
“The previous leader was retiring, and it was something I’d always wanted to do but had never taken the time to do it,” he said. “When they asked, I said yes. We enjoy what we do. We know we are doing something right.”
Greg doesn’t use the word “we” by accident—or lightly. He is one of hundreds of community members over the years who fell in love with Love Thy Neighbor, showed up to lend a helping hand, and never left. Love Thy Neighbor has no paid employees and relies on wonderful volunteers for everything it does.
The volunteer efforts continue to be the heartbeat of the organization, keeping each of its core programs running smoothly every week. Love Thy Neighbor provides free food and clothing to those in need through various programs, including Love Thy Baby, Love Thy Pet and the Love Thy Neighbor clothing assistance program.
The number of families in need continues to rise in and around Denton County, and Love Thy Neighbor strives to serve as many individuals and families as possible.
Located at New Beginnings Church in Lewisville, the clothing program serves as a free “Nordstroms experience” clothing closet on the first and third Saturdays of each month. Individuals and families can select their clothes and return every three months for new clothes and every six months for new shoes.
In the same vein, Love Thy Baby donates roughly 40,000 to 50,000 blankets, baby clothes and other essential items each year through local hospitals and agencies that provide them to families in need.
Not to be outdone, Love Thy Pet delivers between 800 and 1,000 dog and cat beds to local shelters and rescue groups each year. If they receive donations for pet food, sheets or towels, they also deliver those.
As for its food program, Love Thy Neighbor is currently referring individuals to the Salvation Army of Lewisville and CCA (Christian Community Action). Both agencies serve the homeless and families in need of food assistance in the Flower Mound and Lewisville areas. LTN proudly supports these agencies by making monetary donations to purchase food for hot meals and pantry items.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Greg said. “We want these individuals and families we serve to leave with smiles on their faces, lots of hugs and happy tears in their eyes. I am surprised every day by what we can do to make their lives better.”
Greg and others have witnessed countless miracles firsthand that result from these efforts.
For instance, one young man was in danger of being unable to graduate with his classmates because he didn’t have a nice set of clothes for the ceremony. Greg and his team made sure he had everything he needed. Similarly, another student didn’t have clothes for prom. Love Thy Neighbor not only got him fitted for a dapper outfit, but they also added a boutonniere and flowers for his date.
“One time, there was a family of five [that visited the clothing store],” volunteer Nancy Burns said in a video produced by Love Thy Neighbor. “I was their personal shopper, and it was fun to watch them walk through the store and pick out different clothes. It was a really enjoyable experience. Each of the little kids gave me a hug, which really warmed my heart.”
Blake Horton agreed. He joined Love Thy Neighbor as a volunteer two years ago.
“I came here and fell in love with the whole concept,” he said. “I sort shoes, fold clothes, put equipment such as clothing racks together—generally, anything that needs to be done, we do.”
Stories like these are examples of what keep people like Greg, Marilyn, Blake, Nancy, and all the other countless volunteers coming back month after month. What started as a curiosity quickly became a calling. And their passion and commitment speak volumes.
As long as there are families in need, Love Thy Neighbor will be there to support and uplift them.
“We’ve been fortunate to have some fantastic partners and amazing volunteers over the years,” Greg added. “We certainly wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our volunteers. We have some great people working with us.”
To learn more about Love Thy Neighbor, including ways to donate and get involved as a volunteer, please visit ltnlovethyneighbor.org.
