Thank you, Sarah!

In any given month, more than 50 volunteers come to GiGi’s Playhouse to lead a cumulative 600 hours of purposeful programming at GiGi’s. We are lucky that a good number of our volunteers come as students pursuing medical degrees at Des Moines University, and one of the best has been our friend Sarah Jensen. And, sadly, it is time to say goodbye to her.

Sarah (seen in the left in this photo) is from Madison, Wisconsin, and we first met her at a DMU Volunteer Fair in October of 2024. She was excited to introduce herself as a “veteran” volunteer of our sister Playhouse in Madison. If the term “veteran volunteer” is music to our ears (and it is!), Sarah is quite the “virtuoso”!

Since that fateful day, Sarah has volunteered for the GiGi’s Des Moines Gala, LMNOP and Fantastic Friends, but she really made her mark on our Teen Tastic program. Even as a busy Medical Student, Sarah led almost every edition of that Saturday morning program for two years!!!

We’re excited for Sarah as she moves on to clinical rotations in Wisconsin, but the GiGi’s staff, volunteers and participants will miss her SO MUCH!

We’re happy to let Sarah have the last word with this: “GiGi’s Playhouse has been a wonderful organization that I’ve had the privilege of volunteering for the past few years, and it’s been a joy to see the connections and growth of each individual that attends GiGi’s. It’s a place where anyone is free to be themselves and all are welcome. I will miss it very much”.

Sarah leaves big shoes to fill. Would you be willing to try them on for size?