Posts by emaxwell

Joining us today on our blog is one of our amazing grandparents – Rhonda Wagner. Rhonda is the author of The Joy of Avery children’s book series, including her two books, It’s Okay to Wonder and Braver Than Me. ***** It’s Only Down Syndrome My sweet grandson, Caden, was born four years ago today. Reflecting…

We love Ashley and are so proud of who she is! Each and every week she is encouraging to her friends, whether they’re holding their plan for record time or winning at bingo on Fantastic Friends. Ashley always congratulates everyone and is such a wonderful example to everyone when it comes to fair play and…

We are thrilled to offer a fun, safe service project created by our Youth Board for our teens, adults, and families to participate in! Invite the family, your friends, your mask and some rakes and join us as we serve our GiGi’s Playhouse Cleveland neighbors! We will be raking the front lawns of homes around…

Monica has been attending our virtual GiGiFIT and yoga every week since March. Her enthusiasm and energy is contagious as everyone peps up when Monica signs on! What we also love and appreciate about Monica is her accountability. Monica works at Fairview Hospital and once she went back to work a couple months ago, she…

Avery first heard about GiGi’s Playhouse when we met her at a Wade Oval Wednesday event last summer. Finally having time in her busy schedule between school and work, she was our first volunteer to join us since the pandemic hit. After attending our first virtual volunteer orientation she jumped right in! She’s been tutoring…

  We were thrilled when we knew that Friday was Nikki’s last day of chemo! One of our amazing teens was wrapping up her chemo treatment for leukemia and upon her mom’s approval, our incredible Youth Board wanted to celebrate her! Lizz, Erin, and the Youth Board met at her house with balloons, signs and…

David is one of our oldest adults, just celebrating his 51st birthday back on February 29th. We are so proud of the impact David has had on his friends and the community! David trained for Step to Accept daily, created videos and shared on social media, and went out and walked four miles for Step…

When the new coronavirus pandemic forced many states to enact stay-at-home measures, closing schools, therapy and recreation centers, and Playhouses across the country, our GiGi’s Playhouse network jumped into action to move regular programming to a virtual format. Families and individuals with Down syndrome rely on schools and services for both their educational and social…

Programming News Destination Discovery (all ages) Supports the development of fine motor skills, gross motor skills, social skills and language through purposeful play and peer to peer interaction in a casual and fun setting. This program also brings families together to share experiences and build relationships. Jon us on Saturday, March 21st from 10am-11:30am. 2 &…

Monique, corporate counsel for a company in Westlake, joined us this past year as an Assist for our popular Destination Discovery program. Her “why” is unique and beautiful and I wanted her to share it with our community. What I appreciate about Monique is her servant’s heart. She joined our GiGi’s family immediately with a…