Caring Canines-Literacy Companions Lend a Helping Paw!
To celebrate the conclusion of our first Literacy Tutoring Session, we invited Caring Canine Pet Therapy Dogs to GiGi's Playhouse. Caring Canines is a pet therapy program created by Dogwood Acres Pet Retreat to provide certified pet therapy teams who offer unconditional love and a peaceful presence to those in...
GiGi’s Playhouse Youth Board-Successful Dance Marathon 2018!
By Melissa Wong I serve on the GiGi’s Playhouse Annapolis Youth Board. The Youth Board hosted the first ever Dance Dance Marathon for the Annapolis location on November 17th. All high-school students from the Anne Arundel County area were invited to participate. We danced...
Giving Tuesday: A Time to Share Generously
By: Julia Persinger "Get creative and think of all of the ways that you too can help in a very small or very large way. It will come back to you a hundredfold." After a considerable period of procrastination, I penned this on an eight-day silent Catholic Retreat at the...
Calling Eastern Shore Families: GiGi’s Playhouse, Exactly What We Hoped For!
Jeremiah's first visit to GiGi's Playhouse. This is a shout out to all families, especially those on the Eastern Shore, who have loved ones of any age with Down syndrome and can benefit from the wonderful social and academic opportunities at GiGi’s Playhouse in Annapolis. My...
Generation G: A Very Young 86-Year-Old Builds GiGi’s Little Library
Karen, Literacy Tutoring Coordinator, and Richard, Architect and Builder shares his Little Library plans. We have a very special volunteer in Richard Reichert! He is a talented 86-year-young retired Industrial Arts teacher. Richard accepted the challenge after talking to Site Coordinator Judy Co about a Playhouse...
Living Generation G! Meet Thomas
Thomas and Samuel in the ball pit! Sam's favorite spot! Meet Thomas P., age 8 years old, GiGi's Playhouse Annapolis' youngest donor, and one who is living out loud, Generation G! His Mom shared that early this summer, Thomas received a new piggy bank that included...
Sharon’s Determination Inspires Others
Sharon volunteering in the LMNOP program for infants-three year olds. Sharon is one of our amazing adult participants. She is 38 years old and regularly attends the Fantastic Friends program and was a volunteer for our LMNOP Tuesday morning group. Sharon also was a self-advocate speaker...
The Power of High Expectations: Literacy One-on-One Tutoring
I had the opportunity to volunteer at GiGi’s Playhouse in Annapolis as a literacy tutor this summer and it was a remarkable experience. I had previously volunteered for GiGi’s Playhouse in Utah, and have such fond memories of watching the children relish their successes. So, after moving to Maryland for...
GiGi’s Playhouse: “A Place To Be Accepted for Exactly Who You Are”
Just call me Jon's Sister... By Lisha Barnette I have been known by many titles in my life, but there are few that give me the overwhelming pride I feel in being a sister to my brother Jon. Jon was born in 1981 in a small town in Kentucky. My...
Healing by Sharing the Love
June 28th was a memorable day in Annapolis. Little did we know what was happening less than a mile away when the following note was written by one of our GiGi’s Playhouse volunteers. In retrospect, the situations couldn’t be more opposite. To lose the lives of the five employees of...
GiGi’s Playhouse Annapolis-“The Resource We Needed!”
A Parent’s Perspective: By Amanda Stowell Kayden smiles modelling his new visor! Kayden spent focussed time creating his 4th of July poster! GiGi's Playhouse has been one of the best resources for my family. My son Joshua who is 8...
Un Poema de la Madre (A Mother’s Poem) By: Griss
Griss & Victor Tener un hijo especial es una constante lucha de nervios y de corre y corre de entrar y salir del hospital Es amar sin condiciones Es luchar siempre por sus derechos Es buscar información Es reír llorando Es pelear duramente por ellos Es...