Reflections from a GiGi’s Playhouse Intern: Allie

Hello. My name is Allie Petracek, and I’ve had the great privilege of serving as an intern at GiGi’s these last few months while working on my degree at Des Moines University.

Over the course of the semester, I’ve seen so much good at GiGi’s. I have led or co-led GiGiFIT Adult and GiGi Kitchen Adult, and I’ve helped out with Destination Discovery and Music Makers. Each program offered a different type of experience and their own special perspectives. In GiGiFIT, I loved seeing the progress of the exercises we do with the participants. It wasn’t until halfway through the semester that we start doing “half push-ups”, and by the end, we’ve moved on to full push-ups. No more easy push-ups for us!

GiGi Kitchen teaches participants how to be more comfortable in the kitchen so each participant can work on tasks such as following a recipe, measuring ingredients and finely chopping up vegetables. With Music Makers, it was fun to see the adults gain confidence in singing just in time to belt out Christmas carols!

Regardless of how structured a class is, there is always an important aspect of socializing. It was fun seeing friendships grow, whether already established or brand new. And I enjoyed learning what is important to each participant as they took turns making announcements while food is cooking during Kitchen, or by the songs they’d choose at Music Makers. You learn that everything done at GiGi’s is for a reason – it’s not just a place to hang out and have fun. It’s the “purposeful” part of the program that isn’t always so obvious.

I also got to see some of the “behind the scenes” at the Playhouse. GiGi’s added a new program called Destination Discovery this Fall, but not for the sake of adding something new. It was to address an overcrowding issue in the Kitchen. I like how GiGi’s is regularly thinking of ways to accommodate the participants who look forward to being here.

The staff is also good at exploring new ways to partner with the community. The reason I know about (and love) GiGi’s Playhouse is because someone came to and spoke at Des Moines University in 2023. I know organizations like GiGi’s rely on the community, but I didn’t realize how much effort goes into making sure the community is there to help support the organization. Now I have a much better idea.

After all of this, my favorite program to be part of was Destination Discovery. I enjoyed seeing the participants excited about the community coming to GiGi’s, teaching them about the ins and outs of everything from what a Windsor Heights Police Department squad car looks like to all the tools that you can find in a typical tool box. It was a perfect example of inclusion, with both participants and volunteers learning new things.

I am definitely thankful to have spent so much time at GiGi’s this semester. I may not be there as much in the future, but I will certainly keep returning!