Programs
Building Bridges: GiGi’s Changes Lives through Community Businesses
Local businesses are the heart of every community. While platforms like Amazon have made online shopping more popular than ever, there’s still no substitute for stepping into a local shop — a florist, coffee shop, or countless other brick-and-mortars — and interacting with local employees and businesses owners. Entering small businesses allows consumers to get to know integral members…
Read MoreFrom Diagnosis to Joy: Celebrating Down Syndrome
Being a parent to a newborn is one of life’s greatest gifts. But it can also be daunting. While parents are overjoyed by the arrival of this amazing new life, they also want to know that their child will have a bright future. This concern is amplified for parents of newborns with Down syndrome, who…
Read MoreTaking it to the Streets: Phoenix Playhouse Launches ‘GiGi’s on the Go’
At GiGi’s, our Playhouses are like sanctuaries. Inside our walls, we offer our participants and their families more than FREE programming – we offer love, support, and acceptance. Our 60+ Playhouses are safe havens for individuals with Down syndrome and their parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, volunteers, and the entire community. The moment anyone steps through…
Read MoreGiGi’s Kitchen is Serving up Independence
And we’re doing it with help from a generous donor At GiGi’s Playhouse, we don’t lack ambition. Our mission is not only to change how the world views Down syndrome, but also to completely change the world, making it more accepting for EVERYONE! It’s a big job. One we work in pursuit of every day. …
Read MoreGiGiFIT Movement Tracker Helps Build Daily Wellness Habits
by Kim Hanna It’s a universal issue: most of us struggle to build fitness into our daily lives. In theory, it sounds easy, and it is…until life happens. We get busy, priorities shift, and tasks that were once daily routine get pushed to the back burner. As parents, we naturally want to instill healthy habits…
Read MoreGiGi’s Playhouse 1:1 Literacy Tutoring Program Pairs Perfectly with March National Reading Month!
Don’t you just love that phonemic alliteration!! Program Pairs Perfectly! Learning to read opens doors to inclusion in the classroom, workplace and community. We know that visuals are key when teaching individuals with Down syndrome, so it is not surprising that reading visual language is often a strength for our participants – especially when they…
Read MoreBest of All – Celine
“Celine thoroughly enjoys GiGi’s Kitchen Adult. During the COVID pandemic, GiGi’s was the bright spot in her week. In fact, at one point, she participated every week in TWO GiGi’s cooking classes from Hoffman Estates & Annapolis. She looked forward to seeing the same friends each week. Now, Celine has much better cooking skills than when she…
Read MoreGiGiFIT builds confidence & mobility in various stages of life
A step is all it takes to move forward, to feel free. That step, although it seems small, holds tremendous power, allowing individuals to pave their own paths and make their way around the world. Steps, however, do not come naturally for people with Down syndrome. In fact, according to the National Library of Medicine,…
Read MoreBarry Books and Cooks Inspiration at 60!
At 60 years of age, Barry Burris is the oldest participant at GiGi’s Playhouse in Fort Meyers, Florida. A few years ago, Barry decided to improve his literacy skills. He was a level two reader at the time and had not received any formal literacy instruction since high school. With help from GiGi’s Playhouse One-On-One…
Read MoreMake a difference and volunteer to be a tutor!
Want to make an impact? Consider being a volunteer tutor! You can clearly see Shelby has gained confidence and skills in just one session of literacy and math tutoring! “I cannot thank GiGi’s enough for the tutoring! After 3 weeks of Literacy tutoring, Shelby just picked up books and started reading on her own!…
Read More