A Message from the Board President

Happy Spring! The daffodils are beginning to bloom, buds are beginning to show on the trees, and the warmer spring weather has finally arrived! For me, just seeing the signs of spring makes the whole “Stay At Home” order more bearable. If you are like me you are staying at home trying to work, run your household, and teach your child with Down syndrome. Therapies have stopped for many and teletherapy isn’t always helpful for everyone. There is a lot of uncertainty about what happens next for our kids. What about missed IEP services? How do I help my child now? Please remember you are NOT alone! Our GiGi’s Playhouse family is tens of thousands strong! We are here for you every step of the way. 

For starters, check out our GiGi’s At Home Programming! You can find all the resources here. Since GiGi’s At Home launched on March 26 there have been over 28 LIVE National Programs happening weekly for individuals of all ages! Also, we have over 150 On-Demand program videos with resources and materials ready for you when you are. Over 6,200 individuals have participated in our On Demand Programs and over 6,000 participated in our LIVE Programs!  Remember – all of our programs are 100% FREE for all! Also, if you would like to have access to a FREE online reading program please email us at detroit@gigisplayhouse.org. Once we receive your email, we will add you to our Learning A-Z and Headsprout accounts! As you are navigating moving forward with missed IEP services please reach out to me if I can be of any help! You can email me at lkocab@gigisplayhouse.org!

Our doors may have to remain closed for now, but our mission and our drive is moving forward. Our executive board has been meeting online and working on our strategic plan for growth.Our grant team has been busy working virtually to secure funding for more programs. The entire GiGi’s Playhouse network (60 playhouse locations and start-ups strong) are uniting on June 6th to take 7 million Steps to Accept across America! We would love for you to join us!  Every step we take together and every dollar we raise will go directly to programs for our kids at OUR playhouse. You can create your own team, or you can join the Detroit Vs Everybody team by clicking here! We hope you join us! Stay safe and healthy everyone!  We will get through this together!

Lisa Kocab

Board President and PJ’s mom

GiGi’s At Home: Purposeful Programs from Home

On March 26th GiGi’s Playhouse launched GiGi’s At Home. As a network we knew that we couldn’t press pause we had to press play during this uncertain time! Come join families and participants across the network for our virtual and on demand programming!

We have two ways for you to stay connected to GiGi’s Playhouse programs.

GiGi’s At Home Live is our way of bringing purposeful programs to you each and every day at a specific time. This allows you to interact with our volunteer program leaders and fellow participants engaging in purposeful activities designed for your loved one’s age group.

We also have local live programming happening! Click here to head over to the Detroit calendar to jump into the fun!

GiGi’s At Home On Demand is our way of bringing purposeful programs to you at a time that is convenient for you. We have complied over 100 program recordings, lesson plans and activities to use when you are ready.

A Night to Inspire: Fall 2020 Gala

Last year we took you back to the roaring 20’s.. where will we go this year? Save the date for A Night to Inspire 2020! You can look forward to an evening filled with inspiration for GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit. Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 17, 2020 at the Royal Oak Farmer’s Market – we are guaranteeing you an evening to remember.

Volunteer Orientation

Do you want to experience the joy of giving of your time and talents to our amazing participants? Ready to jump in and help us run and expand on our programs? We have lots of places to serve. Our next volunteer orientation will be scheduled for May 9, 2020 @ 10AM.  We will meet virtually to learn all about GiGi’s and the opportunities we have. Click here to RSVP and a link will be sent to your inbox to join the virtual orientation!