Welcome to GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago!

Ximena and her family visited the playhouse for the first time last Wednesday afternoon. After taking a tour and learning about all the programs, her mom enthusiastically asked, “When can we start?” Ximena is a teenager so we said, “Tomorrow! We have our teen programs every Thursday from 6:00pm – 7:00pm”. Sure enough, she was back the next day and ready to participate!

Dance was first on the agenda for the night and Ximena jumped right in! She didn’t hesitate to try the hip hop routine and really bonded with her peers as they all learned together. Her mom was beaming with pride as she watched her daughter become a valued member of this group so quickly. Ximena also loved participating in the Cooking Club that followed the Dance program. She and the other participants learned about knife safety, mixing new foods together to make a new recipe, and the importance of choosing fresh and healthy ingredients. Jenny, one of the volunteers leading the program, said, “Sometimes I forget the magic of a family’s first time at the Playhouse. Yesterday I was reminded of how powerful our GiGi’s family is in bringing families together…When Ximena came to the Playhouse she seemed to be right at home. It’s like she has always been at our Playhouse and has known all the other teens since they were kids.” We are so glad this family and all of our new families find a way to walk through our doors and find a sense of home here.