COLLINSVILLE – Community members have a fun opportunity to help kids in the foster care system experience a great Christmas.
On Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, Dream Home Charities will host their annual Glo Bingo night at Collinsville Fireman’s Hall. This bingo promises a fun time with raffles, a silent auction, cash prizes and more. All proceeds go to Dream Home Charities and their initiative to provide gifts and necessities for foster families during the holiday season.
“People always say our Glo Bingos are the best,” said Sherry Gilleland. “It’s just awesome. The community that we live in, everybody is so supportive of the charity, and it just warms my heart.”
On Aug. 8, doors open at 6 p.m. and bingo begins at 7 p.m. There will be a cash bar and participants are encouraged to bring their own snacks. Gilleland suggests dressing up in your best neon costumes, as there will be prizes for the best-dressed and best-decorated table.
In addition to bingo, there will be a silent auction, a wine pull, a 50/50 raffle, raffle baskets and more fun. Dream Home Charities is still looking for donations for these items, as well as volunteers for the night of the event. You can contact Gilleland directly at 618-779-0990 for more information.
Dream Home Charities was started by Gilleland 18 years ago as a way to help the community. She was always determined to give back; once she started Dream Home Realty and became her own boss, Gilleland decided to create a sister nonprofit so she could engage with the community on a new level.
Every year, the nonprofit gives away nearly $25,000 in gifts, clothes, hygiene products and more to families affected by the foster care system. These families, identified by the Department of Children and Family Services, share their needs with Gilleland, who works with her volunteers to make sure they have everything by Christmas morning.
In addition to their holiday push, the nonprofit works year-round to help people pay their utility bills and medication copays. They also give gas cards to families who have loved ones in St. Louis hospitals.
All of this is covered by donations and fundraisers like the Glo Bingo night. Gilleland noted that it’s been harder in recent years to meet these needs.
“This is our 18th year for Dream Home Charities, and it is the worst that I ever have remembered,” she said. “Every year, we keep getting more and more people, and our funds are getting lower and lower. It’s really stressful. It’s heartbreaking because you don’t want to have to tell somebody no who is in desperate need. And nobody wants to see a child not have Christmas on Christmas morning.”
Gilleland hopes the Glo Bingo fundraiser gives Dream Home Charities the boost they need to be able to help all the families that DCFS identifies this holiday season, as well as a little leftover to help others in need year-round.
She noted that community members can help each other and have a fun time by buying a ticket or table to the Glo Bingo. For more information about the Glo Bingo or Dream Home Charities and their work, visit their official website or their official Facebook page. To buy tickets or offer your assistance for the Glo Bingo, contact Gilleland at 618-779-0990.
“People are strapped right now, so I’m just letting people know no amount is too small. Every penny that we raise is a penny we didn’t have, and we’re just crying out for help,” she added. “Our ticket sales are really down, and our funds, obviously, for our charity are way down. We are hoping that this is going to be a great event that can get us through this year.”
