Family Stories – Cesar and Renee
April is Autism Acceptance Month! This is a special month for us as some of our friends have an extra - extra amazing diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental diagnosis in which people with Autism perceive the world and interact with others in unique and beautiful...
Volunteer Spotlight – Colleen
Collen Moran is a familiar face at GiGi's Playhouse Cleveland, as she has been volunteering here for six years since January 2017. Her passion for making meaningful connections, educating, and inspiring others aligned perfectly with our mission. That alignment is evident in her tenure at our Playhouse, as she has...
Best of All – Kash
Libby Farrell, our incredible Speech Language Pathologist, has been working with Kash during our current session of the Amina Grace Speech and Language Program. Libby and Kash instantly cultivated a powerful rapport, which provides a secure foundation for Kash's continued growth, communication, and achievement. Below, Libby provides a beautiful look...
Volunteer Spotlight – Natalie
Natalie started her volunteer journey at GiGi's Playhouse Cleveland in May of 2022 and immediately after her volunteer onboarding, she began tutoring! Ever since then, Natalie has been a bright light of kindness, acceptance, and love in our GiGi's Playhouse community. Natalie's commitment to each student she tutors is evident...
Family Stories – Michele and Delaney
This year, we want to focus on sharing family stories. We hear so many stories throughout the year, and we cherish those stories shared with us. Whether these stories come from the perspective of a parent, caregiver, uncle, or other family members, the impact of sharing our own story is...
Volunteer Spotlight – Summer!
Summer joined our tutoring team in Fall 2022 and made such an impact with one of our younger participants. Summer went above and beyond, helping to create sight word cards from Nolan’s teacher and incorporate them into his tutoring at the Playhouse. In addition, she steps in as a sub–Program...
The Best of All of Us – Princess Jennifer
Perfecting the pose! Each of us remembers the first day we met her - our very own princess. During introductions, she would quickly share with us, that she is not only "Jennifer", but she's known as "Princess Jennifer". She even had the princess wave perfected and would take time to...
Brew Ha Ha Reflection 2022
It’s been 4 years, 6 months, and 11 days since Lael Joy took her first breath and forever changed my life. It’s been 4 years, 6 months, and 11 days of me becoming a new person, really living through a rebirth of myself. And like all new life, there are...
Celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Month!
October is Down Syndrome Awareness (and Acceptance!) Month – an entire dedicated month to shouting our friends' and children’s worth from the rooftops! We've collected some great ideas from other parents about what they'll be doing to celebrate differences and encourage inclusion. Let us know how you are celebrating! Send...
Site Director Receives Community Leader Award!
CONGRATULATIONS, LIZZ! Our Site Director, Lizz Maxwell, was honored as the 2022 recipient of the Community Leader Award at the Lakewood Women’s Club’s Women Honoring Women event at Vosh on Thursday, September 22nd, 2022. (pictured L to R: Torey Worren from Lakewood Women's Club, State Senator Nickie J. Antonio,...
Back to School Tips and Ideas for individuals with Down syndrome!
✅ First Day Outfit for Mom’s Photo Shoot ✅ Backpack with ALL the Stuff ✅ Lunch Box ✅ Water Bottle ✅ Cool, Comfy Shoes Check, Check, Check and Recheck! What else? What else do we need in order to equip our kiddos for a school year of success? This...
Volunteer Spotlight – Catherine!
If you're familiar with GiGi's Playhouse, you know full well how much we rely on our volunteers and how they are truly the heartbeat of our Playhouse! We are excited to introduce you to Catherine, one of our amazing math tutors! We love Catherine's story and want to share it...