National Night Out: Connecting with Our Columbus Community

The Well was proud to join our Columbus community for National Night Out, an annual event that brings neighbors, law enforcement, first responders, local organizations, and families together to strengthen connections and build safer, more caring communities.

At our table, community members were invited to participate in our Leaves of Hope activity. People of all ages stopped by to write down a person, thing, or moment that gives them hope and add their leaf to our tree. Throughout the evening, what began as a collection of empty branches gradually became a colorful reminder of just how many places hope can be found.

Some found hope in the people they love. Others found it in meaningful moments, things they enjoy, or pieces of their everyday lives. Each leaf was different, but together they told a much bigger story about the people who make up our community.

For Karmen VanDeWalle, LIMHP, LMHP, MSW, a Mental Health Counselor at The Well’s Columbus office, the activity captured what made the evening so meaningful.

“National Night Out was such a wonderful opportunity for The WELL to connect with our community in a fun and meaningful way. One of our favorite parts of the evening was watching people of all ages stop at our Leaves of Hope tree and share the people, things, and moments that give them hope. By the end of the night, the tree was filled with reminders that hope can be found everywhere, and that when we share it with one another, it grows. We’re grateful to have been part of an evening that brought our community together and gave us another opportunity to remind people that support, connection, and hope are always worth sharing.”

Events like National Night Out give us the opportunity to meet people outside the walls of our offices, not because they are coming to us for services, but simply as neighbors and members of the same community. Those moments matter. They give us a chance to build relationships, share resources, reduce stigma around asking for support, and remind people that they don’t have to navigate life’s challenges alone.

We are grateful to everyone who stopped by our table, added a leaf to our tree, shared a little bit of their hope with us, or simply said hello. By the end of the evening, our tree looked a little different than when we arrived. And we think that’s a pretty fitting picture of what happens when a community comes together: hope grows.

Click here to learn more about National Night Out.