By Adrienne Bingham, Blog Coordinator, POINT
On a Friday evening this past fall, a team from a local Columbus nonprofit – POINT – had the honor of visiting and serving at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House through hosting a Bingo night for families and friends within the RMHC community. I can safely say, of the many events I have been a part of through working at POINT, this one was the most impactful.
My name is Adrienne Bingham, and I serve as the Blog Coordinator for POINT, an in-development social app for community charity and volunteerism connections; I had the privilege of being on the volunteer team for Bingo night.
Life seems to never be more fulfilling than when surrounded by people who know how to love others well, which is why I think I was so comfortable after walking in the doors of the house – the Columbus Ronald McDonald House loves others well, arguably when those individuals and families may need it most.
Anyone can construct a building, outfitting it with many rooms, certain amenities and aesthetics. It takes the unquantifiable passion and perseverance of loving volunteers and employees of that building to transform its culture into that of a home-away-from-home, where 137 rooms, home-cooked meals, spaces for play, relaxation and the meeting of daily needs are made available to its families.
That Friday evening we were given one of those spaces to play. In the dining room, around dinnertime, we set up multiple tables with bingo cards, paper squares for gameplay and spread out to enjoy many prize-filled rounds with incredible RMHC families and kids. Some POINT members called the numbers, whereas others refilled supplies, or got to play along; I was one of the latter, and it truly was a blast.
At the beginning I wondered if anyone would want to play with us, but that quickly subsided, as enthusiastic, energetic and fun-loving kids brought the party to us. With competitive and resounding “BINGO!”s the night flew by, and at the end I am certain I received more than I gave.
The willingness to be open, authentic, welcoming and simultaneously joyful is what struck me most about the families struggling with the illness of one or more of their children, who are patients of nearby hospital and treatment facilities.
For me, I will always remember Ashton – a rambunctious redhead who could give the Flash a (quite literal) run for his money, and one who – with what must be more adversity than most children ever have to face – exuded yet still more liveliness and love of fun than I’ve seen in a long time. It was through his warrior mom, Amanda, that I came to know his story, and his birthday wish of raising funds for the Columbus Ronald McDonald House in lieu of gifts. All he wanted was to give back to the home away from home that had given him and his family so much.
The RMHC community left our entire team that night with the right answer to the choice within hardship: be the good. Embody love in action. Give the fight, or the hard-fought battle of others, everything you’ve got. Love others well.
Bingo.