Deric (Vaughn) Bolden is a volunteer at Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Northwest Ohio. He has been volunteering at RMHC for a little more than a year and has a passion for giving back and helping others.
Vaughn’s story is one of redemption.
Prior to volunteering at RMHC, Vaughn was going through a dark period of his life. Checking himself into rehab, Vaughn has now come out of rehab more than two years sober. “When I was in that period of my life, I realized that when I become in a better place, I have to do the right thing and give back to others” says Vaughn. Seeing commercials for RMHC, Vaughn picked up the phone and was eager to volunteer at the House.
While each volunteer at RMHC has specific tasks that they work on, Vaughn is a jack-of-all-trades. Some of his tasks are cleaning, answering calls and maintaining the front desk and “doing anything asked of him”.
While not volunteering at RMHC, Vaughn is an author and artist. He has written two children’s books and has painted a beautiful piece of art displayed in the playroom. His children’s books titled “Benny in the Race” teaches children to stay motivated and never give up, while “A Boy Named Hero” is a story about a kid with a disability who is bullied and becomes a superhero who helps others with disabilities. The piece of art that Vaughn created for the playroom is shown below.
When asked about what advice Vaughn would give to others on volunteering, he says, “It’s a great choice to give back to others and do something that is bigger than yourself.” Vaughn told us that volunteering has taught him to be mindful of others. “Some people may be having the worst day of their life. It really puts everything into perspective and teaches you that life may not be as bad as you think.”
Volunteers at RMHC of NW Ohio are crucial to our organization’s impact on families. To volunteer at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio, please contact Wendy Bejaige at wendy@rmhctoledo.org.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio is a finalist for the “Best Place To Volunteer” in the Toledo Area Parent News 2021 Family Favorite Awards. To vote for RMHC, click HERE.
