Awareness
Happy Hearts Celebrate GiGi’s First Anniversary
On February 2nd, the Playhouse was packed with the happy hearts in our brand new friends, returning participants, family members, volunteers and supporters; all celebrating the first anniversary of GiGi’s Playhouse Annapolis’ Grand Opening. We are thankful for the warm welcome from the greater-Annapolis community. In its first year, individuals with Down syndrome participated in…
Read MoreSinging Together… “They’re really saying, I love you!”
What a wonderful afternoon of children “Singing Together”. The All Children’s Chorus of Annapolis (ACCA), a non-profit organization, consisting of children in second to seventh grade from the greater-Annapolis area, reached out to GiGi’s Playhouse to share an afternoon activity of songs together, culminating in a “Winter Mini-Tour” performance for their families. Led by ACCA’s Managing…
Read MoreFound–Inclusive Catholic Education & Great Friends at GiGi’s Playhouse
By Doni Dondero Raymond Tetschner had always been fully included in public school in Arizona, so when the family started looking at middle school, full inclusion was their goal. But this time, there was an additional challenge–they wanted that education in a Catholic school. As the family approached Raymond’s 6th grade year, they talked with…
Read MoreCaring 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 need in the community. Caring…
Read MoreGiGi’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 and engaged in a variety…
Read MoreCalling Eastern Shore Families: GiGi’s Playhouse, Exactly What We Hoped For!
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 name is Karen and I am the blessed grandmother of Jeremiah, a fabulous young man…
Read MoreGeneration G: A Very Young 86-Year-Old Builds GiGi’s Little Library
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 dream of having a “GiGi’s Playhouse Little Library.” Never mind that it was only Richard’s second time to the Playhouse, that he didn’t…
Read MoreThe 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 school, I gravitated towards the…
Read MoreHealing 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 the Capital Gazette was a…
Read MoreGiGi’s Playhouse Annapolis-“The Resource We Needed!”
A Parent’s Perspective: By Amanda Stowell GiGi’s Playhouse has been one of the best resources for my family. My son Joshua who is 8 years old, and doesn’t have Down Syndrome, is always asking to go there because he makes friends every time we attend a program. Even just the mention of GiGi’s…
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