How Volunteering at Veterans Bingo Builds Lasting Connections

In the past few months, Volunteer Wave has been joining Saturday Bingo more and more often. At first, we stopped by once a month as a commitment of support towards our Community Partner, Whole Way House. Soon after, we found ourselves returning more frequently. Why? Because our volunteers at Volunteer Wave events actually want to come back and build the relationships they’ve started with the residents. Many regularly check to see when the next shifts will be posted and ask for more! With this encouragement, Volunteer Wave attended Saturday Bingo on March 7th and March 14th.

Each time we return to Whole Way House’s Veterans Manor, we see the positive impact our continued presence makes. If you’re a returning volunteer, you may notice residents’ faces light up when they see you on the sidewalk. Some will stub out their cigarettes and come inside early, knowing you’ll soon be leading Bingo, making a fresh pot of coffee, and serving cookies and cakes soon.

Inside, you might see a few residents watching TV, but they’ll quickly turn to say hello and ask you to remind them of your name. Slowly, more residents begin to gather in the program space, sitting around the tables or along the sides of the room, eagerly waiting for 1PM when the games begin.

After sanitizing the tables and chairs, setting up the Bingo cards and markers, and serving food and drinks, everything is ready. That’s when the playful banter between the residents and the Bingo caller, now often one of our own volunteers, begins:

“Bingo!”

“But the first number hasn’t been called out yet!”

“Did you get the number?”

“Yes, the wrong number!”

“What number do you need?”

“I’m not telling you, because then it never gets called!”

Then there’s the friendly competition between residents:

“Are you winning?”

“No, but what matters is that I have two more numbers than that guy.”

It’s these conversations, chuckles, and lively moments that bring beautiful cheer to both the residents and the volunteers, even if only for two hours on a Saturday. Of course, the prizes help, but everyone is really there for the connection. You can tell, because even after the games end at 2:00PM and the volunteers begin cleaning up, residents linger nearby, continuing their conversations with the volunteers.

At Volunteer Wave, we are grateful for little opportunities like this—moments where we can help prevent social isolation and bring joy to people’s lives, while residents enrich ours with stories of their lives as veterans, their travels, their children and loved ones, their stylish outfits, and even debates about which orange juice is the best orange juice.

Volunteer Wave is excited to return for more Bingo at Veterans Manor in April. Check Bloomerang to see when we’ll be there next!