Bingo Night

 As I sat thinking about how dreary January can be…I tried to brainstorm what I could do to add a little pizzazz to an otherwise ho-hum month.  Even though Chicago has not been dreadfully cold, the bleakness of the month can be stifling.  I looked at my calendar and saw that the Chicago Partnership Board meeting was coming up and I became inspired to volunteer an evening with the residents of Sasser House and Herbst House.  I called upon Stephen Kray, who I had met during a board meeting, to ask for some suggestions as to what activities the residents would like and I decided upon an evening of Bingo.  Is there a better way to add some sunshine to a January cold nite??  Hmm, I think not (see pictures for proof!)

 I knew I would need a couple of helpers so I enlisted some friends, David Harris and Melissa Calmes, to ensure the evening would go smoothly.  My sister, Liz, who works at the Avenues workshop in Wheeling, also decided to come along.  As Liz and I arrived, we were greeted by Brian with a big smile (a huge Bears fan, by the way) and plenty of enthusiasm to start the night off right.  When my helpers arrived, the group gave a warm, friendly hello to each of them. 

We played a few rounds of bingo traditional style and then ended with a fill the board round.  As the residents alternated between snacking and playing I was able to get to know each of them a little bit better.  Sharon shared some stories about her father and sister all while lending a hand to her roommate, Lori, as they played bingo.  I learned that they both like to cook and maybe one day I’ll get invited back for dinner. Lori has a sweet tooth and I almost got her to give me a bite of the delicious cake she was having. Lenore was eager to play bingo and I quickly learned she was a seamstress at the thrift store.  I told her I would have brought my pants had I known she could help and she offered to hem my pants when I come back again.  Ironically, she won some pajamas which she said she’s going to alter so they fit her better (she clearly is an asset to the Avenues thrift store).  I discovered quite a number of Bears fans, particularly Brian and Georgia was sad to see Lovie Smith leave the Bears.  Denise and Debbie were vigilant about playing Bingo and I lost count of how many times they each won!  Cheryl told me about how she had just moved in and was so excited to be there especially since she was able to bring her cat. David was a jokester and kept most of us entertained during the evening.  By the end of the nite, everyone had won a prize and was grinning from ear to ear.

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect out of one evening and I was hesitant to think that one evening would make any sort of difference.  After a few minutes in, I realized I was wrong and I do strongly believe evenings like this make all the difference in the world.  A good friend always says that when we experience different events we are “making memories” and that evening certainly counts as that.  I know it was definitely the highlight of my day and the joy I felt when leaving is something that will keep me warm for the rest of the month, no matter how cold Chicago gets.