The GiGi’s Impact | Believers

Today we are excited to welcome a guest blogger from GiGi’s Playhouse Nashville. Jolene is a wife and mother, a writer and reader, a lover of, among many other things, good food, good music and good people. She is immeasurably grateful for the joy of this ordinary life, well-seasoned with a dash of the unexpected. You can find more of her writing on her blog, A Dash of the Unexpected. 

If you’re not familiar with GiGi’s Playhouse, let me introduce you. GiGi’s is a network of Down syndrome achievement centers.  These are physical locations where people of all ages with Down syndrome and their families can gather for free therapeutic and skills training programs, socialization, one-on-one reading, math and handwriting tutoring and play in a fun and welcoming environment. I lead the  2 & Under program for the littlest ones and their families. Lina has at different points participated in that group and a music and language class, and she and Corin now go every week to a Special Olympics Young Athletes event that focuses on beginning athletic skills. They LOVE that class. Most GiGi’s programs are led by therapists and experts in the areas they teach. Ninety-some percent of the people who work at our Nashville GiGi’s are unpaid volunteers.

When I talk to people about why GiGi’s is important to us, I go back to when Lina was a newborn and we were first trying to get our bearings. We had been introduced to the Down Syndrome Association, which offers fantastic resources for families. I was a little lost, though, on where to go to meet other families like ours. I wanted to connect in person with parents who had been where we were, but a support group felt too intense. Then I learned about a new place called GiGi’s Playhouse. At the time, we lived too far away to access GiGi’s as often as I wanted, but once we moved closer, it became a staple of our family’s social support system.  As I’ve become involved as a volunteer, I have seen other families find in GiGi’s exactly what I was needing so badly when Lina was born:

a place to connect, ask questions and find encouragement and support from people who just get it.

In addition, GiGi’s is a big piece of Mission: Lina’s Future. It’s the answer to questions like, “What do we do to support Lina’s progress over the summer, when she’s not in school?” The answer: Sign her up for one-on-one tutoring and therapeutic programs at GiGi’s. “How do we make sure she and Corin have social support from people who understand their specific experiences?” The answer: Build a network of GiGi’s friends. “How do we support Lina’s independence as she grows?” The answer (or one piece of it – obviously this is part of a much broader plan): Get her involved in job training and social and therapeutic programs for older kids and young adults at GiGi’s.

GiGi’s works hard to build business and personal relationships in the community to educate and open doors for people with Down syndrome. These partnerships have allowed young adults with Down syndrome to learn floral arranging, become active members of a local CrossFit gym and find jobs at restaurants, businesses and even the Tennessee Titans. There is so much more I could tell you, but I think you get the picture: GiGi’s Playhouse is awesome.

The Believer’s Ball was a fun night out for a couple of parents who needed it. But it was also the biggest source of funding for the year for a place that makes life tangibly better for Lina and our family. So thank you to the many people who worked incredibly hard to organize the gala, to the many businesses and individuals who sponsored the gala and donated auction items, and to everyone who came out, bid in the auction and made generous donations. I hope you know how much it matters to a lot of families like ours.

Thank you Jolene! Lina is an amazing little girl and we are so proud to have your entire family a part of the GiGi’s Family!

educate.inspire.believe.