Photos and Fun: Volunteers Appreciation

GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago couldn’t function without our volunteers. Every day, our volunteers help people with Down syndrome achieve their unlimited potential and help spread positive awareness of Down syndrome throughout their networks, families and communities.

Without our volunteers we wouldn’t have a board of managers, literacy or math programs (both our coordinators and tutors are volunteers), custom-made literacy books, or be able to complete various office tasks. Whether our volunteers are young teens or grandparents, able to give a few hours or dedicate an entire weekend, we appreciate all of them.

That’s why we were so happy to be able to host a Volunteer Appreciation Event at Shalimar B Photography recently. Shalimar — a volunteer herself, who donated her time and expertise to take the pictures for our window mosaics — gave her time and energy to offer every volunteer at the event an individual headshot session. In this age of imagery, our volunteers can use these headshot for social media, professional profiles, graduate school applications and so much more.

Shalimar’s Studio — it is amazing!

In between sessions, our volunteers were able to mix and mingle, sharing conversation, mimosas, coffee and a little something to eat. (There were danishes and q uiche galore.)

We thank all of our volunteers who help us, day in and day out, and were happy to put on a special event just for them. And, we’d like to give a huge, “Thank you,” to Shalimar for giving up an entire afternoon to take these photos at her gorgeous studio.

Shalimar Beekman, an award-winning Chicago photographer who specializes in children’s photography, will be taking the photos.  Take a look at her various photo galleries (newborn, baby, family and maternity) to see for yourself.  Be prepared to be amazed!