Posts by Mary Makulinski
Finding Certainty Within the Chaos
Written by Kathleen Ferdico Mural The perils of parenting any child are daunting, but when you add the layer of an unexpected diagnosis the chaos can feel exponential. I remember the weight of feeling like I survived a year of Down syndrome when my son Johnny turned one. The next year that sentiment was replaced…
Read MoreBest of All – Ana!
Ana walks into the Playhouse humming a Taylor Swift song and efficiently signs herself and her dad in on the iPad. Ana always has a twinkle in her eye and at the drop of a hat we know if given a microphone, she’d be on our stage singing her heart out. However, taking into account…
Read MoreVolunteer of the Month – Cameron!
Every Thursday Cam energetically enters the Playhouse. Always eager to help clean, greet new community members, and create relationships with everyone in the Playhouse. What we love about Cam is his keen memory and how he truly cares to get to know his friends. If you share facts about yourself, whether that be information about…
Read MoreVolunteer of the Month – Emily!
Emily is rounding out her THIRD year volunteering at GiGi’s Playhouse Cleveland! Since starting in 2021, Emily has been an integral part of the success of Project Pulse. She volunteers weekly for the teen program and has grown as a volunteer and individual. Emily shares that she considers herself a shy person, but from the…
Read MoreBest of All – Jonathan
What is there not to love about our friend, Jonathan? When you first meet him, you may think he is a quiet individual. Boy, oh boy, once you get to know him though, his wit, humor, and personality cast a sparkle throughout the Playhouse. Since Jonathan is here on a weekly basis for GiGiFIT and…
Read MoreVolunteer of the Month – Rachel
Meet Rachel – our amazing Leaps and Bounds Program Lead. She is passionate about advocating for our friends of all abilities and she’s not afraid to speak up for those around her. Her heart of gold and ability-centered approach is evident in her well-thought-out and intentional lesson plans each month. She considers each individual’s goals…
Read MoreI wish someone would have told me…
Amy Stack, mom to Lael and 6 other beautiful children, shares her potent words on what she wished she would have been told after receiving her daughter’s Down syndrome diagnosis. I wish someone would have told me… As I cradled my sweet baby girl, falling in love with her almond-shaped eyes, snuggling her close to…
Read MoreFamily Stories – Audrey and her Best of All
Audrey is a bright light who is at our Cleveland Playhouse several times a week. She can be found drumming during Project Pulse, making new friends at Games with Friends, and giggling throughout Teen Tastic. As Audrey has grown, she has become a leader amongst her peers. She always wants to to help those around…
Read MoreBest of All – Andrew
This month we are highlighting an individual who shines a bright light of joy wherever he goes. You can often hear his laughter echoing throughout the Playhouse, while also finding him helping and participating in GiGiFIT Kids, Destination Discovery, Drama Troupe, and Music Makers. He has grown up at our Cleveland Playhouse alongside his brother…
Read MoreVolunteer of the Month – Sierra
At GiGi’s Playhouse Cleveland, we have a spectacular team of volunteers who lead our GiGiFIT programs. Volunteers who commit to three programs, back-to-back-to-back. They don’t commit to an evening at GiGi’s because they have to, they do it because they WANT to. Sierra is one of those volunteers. She started out as an intern to…
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