GiGi’s Playhouse expands offerings with new facility

This article ran in the Des Moines Register on 2.22.15
Written by:Estela Villanueva-Whitman, Special to the Register

GiGi’s Playhouse came to Des Moines with the goal of raising awareness about Down syndrome. Five years later, it has a new playhouse in Windsor Heights and plans to provide additional programming for more age groups. During the week, adults with Down syndrome might cook lunch in the new kitchen. On the weekend, toddlers could climb around a soft play area or ride scooters in the new gymnasium.

In 2010, about 200 families were active in GiGi’s educational and social programs. Today, that number is close to 500, not including extended family, said site coordinator Jessica Lane. Meghan Kobes, a GiGi’s board member, learned during pregnancy that her daughter, Ava, would be born with Down syndrome. GiGi’s became a resource on what to expect when her baby was born. Ava, now 2 years old, comes to GiGi’s frequently. “Parents often say: ‘I feel like I don’t have to explain anything here. I can just come and play,’ ” Kobes said. That accepting atmosphere made her feel comfortable right away, she said.

Now the focus is on offering programs for more age groups. Parent Lisa Woiwood became a board member last fall after seeing a need for more social connections and opportunities for adults with disabilities. Her daughter, Annie, 21, had received services and stayed active through high school, but Woiwood found that support dropped off after that. “It’s a huge need for all adults with disabilities,” she said. Woiwood said that nothing as structured as GiGi’s was offered when her daughter was younger, so the program has been a great service for young families. She and other parents see huge potential in expanding programs and are hoping to better serve adults as well. “What I see with her as well as with some of the other young adults here is that they feel like they have a voice. They feel like they belong and are comfortable. It’s their place,” she said. They also know the center was built for them, Lane added.

The new location is twice the size of the old space. That means the center can offer fitness programs as well as programs for adults, such as GiGi University. The Des Moines location is the second GiGi’s location in the country to offer the job and life-skills program, Lane said. Seventeen playhouses are located throughout the United States and Mexico.

The Des Moines location is also the first playhouse to own its own building, rather than lease space. Fundraising and volunteers helped get the organization to that point, Lane said. The new site is visible along University Avenue, located next to a bus stop and easily accessible from the freeway.

Programs had outgrown the space at the old facility in Urbandale. The new space has four quiet classrooms and a computer lab to serve nearly 20 students signed up for literacy and math programs. It also features a large gymnasium with a playset and basketball court, a kitchen for cooking classes and retail space for the university’s internship program. Those spaces help serve more age groups, especially teens and adults.

Woiwood said programs like GiGi University are helping fill the gap in services for adults, providing functional skills and preparing them for employment. Students undergo an application process and interview to be selected for the 12-week program that ends with a graduation ceremony. A shorter, summertime program — GiGi Prep — is also planned.

One of the first students in GiGi University is Joel Marcel, 36. The program is meaningful to Joel because he looks forward to coming, said his mother, Kay Marcel. The family recently moved to Iowa from southern Louisiana to be closer to another son and grandchildren who live in Urbandale. Even before they had moved last fall, Marcel said she had talked to another family whose adult daughter participated in programs at GiGi’s. Joel was also able to attend Friday Friends, a social outing for adults with Down syndrome, held at the center. “The social part has been important, especially moving to a new place,” Marcel said.

GiGi University has also helped provide assistance as the family awaits funding for support services through government programs. Marcel points out that the programs at GiGi’s are free for families, with no bureaucratic component. Joel had been employed part time since he was 18 in the recreation department back in Louisiana, so he already had job skills. But GiGi University been a good refresher for him, giving him a chance to work on his resume and to work on skills to be independent, Marcel said. He also continues to attend Friday Friends, where he likes to listen to karaoke and play basketball and air hockey. “It’s been a real good transition for him. We couldn’t be happier that this is here,” she said.

I Have a Voice Gala

The I Have A Voice Gala is 6 p.m. Saturday, Des Moines Marriott Downtown, 700 Grand Ave., Des Moines. $100 per person; $1,000 per table. Register atgigisplayhouse.org/desmoines or call 252-7529. Benefits GiGi’s Playhouse Des Moines.

Visit GiGi’s

GiGi’s Playhouse and Down Syndrome Achievement Center is located at 6507 University Ave. in Windsor Heights. Volunteers are needed to provide programming.