DUMAS, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Suzanne Sims is a former teacher, a devoted volunteer and community member, and one of our 2023 Remarkable Women finalists.

Sims was a teacher for 30 years before retiring in Dumas in 2012 but she did not stop teaching kids altogether.

“That’s when I got involved in Moore Kids Swimming Program and so my husband helps us volunteer with the children,” said Sims. “But it’s a volunteer program to teach all the second graders in our community how to swim.”

Suzanne was nominated by Thelma Cannon. She says every week, Suzanne and her husband, Pat, are at the YMCA in Dumas giving back.

“She never sees herself as doing anything that’s so outstanding,” said Cannon. “And I don’t know how many organizations she’s been involved in, I can’t even count them all. But when she’s involved in it, it’s a successful organization.”

Sims has also served as chair of the Moore County CPS board since 2010.

“It’s especially a passion to my heart, because I was raised in poverty and because of remarkable people in my life—and when I say that my, grandparents took me in and I was able to get my education so I could be a teacher—I was able to overcome a lot of difficulties from those times.”

Now, she’s able to help those foster kids face difficulties in their lives. She does the same at another nonprofit in Dumas, The Refuge.

“That’s a nonprofit, faith-based organization for addicts and alcoholics, and it’s a kind of a hand up to help them get back on the road to recovery, so that they can work and then begin to be a part of a community again, and we have we have seen amazing things happen there,” said Sims.

Cannon said to Suzanne sims, the community is everything.

“I know that she had a neighbor that was elderly and alone and she was helping her every day,” said Cannon. “Taking her food, going over and seeing what she needed, taking her anywhere she needed to go.”

“I took care of Miss Lottie, she lived across the street from us,” said Sims. “She had fallen and she had broken her neck and had stitches and she was going to be by herself. And I was like, ‘She can’t be by herself, she needs help.’ So I told my husband Pat, I said, ‘Honey, I’m gonna move in with Miss Lottie for a couple of weeks until we can get her some help,’ and for about five years, I took care of her off and on.”

In addition to her service to her neighbors and community, Sims has one major hobby: quilting. However, when she isn’t quilting or teaching others how to quilt, she can be found over at First Street Church.

“I love teaching the Word of the Lord is just to anybody. I love teaching the littles from the twos and threes, up to adults,” said Sims. “I tell people there’s nothing good in any of us, save for the presence of Jesus and I’m just grateful for that.”

Cannon added, “She’s just doing the thing she enjoys doing but yet it is helping so many people. And she doesn’t realize how much she touches the people in this town, in this county.”