Posts by Bethany Wells
Along for the Journey: Having a Sister with Down Syndrome
Guest post by Aria Kim My youngest sister Elena (13) has Down syndrome. In many ways, Elena is the best thing that has ever happened to my family. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about Down syndrome; many people assume that raising a child with a disability is challenging. As Elena’s older sister,…
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Becca Daugherty
Interview by Aria Kim “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou This quote happens to be a favorite of Becca Daugherty’s, and we can’t think of a better way to describe the magic she brings to GiGi’s…
Read MoreAmina Grace Speech and Language Program: The Clinicians’ Perspective I
The GiGi’s Playhouse Amina Grace Speech and Language program provides children, youth, and adults with greatly expanded opportunities to evolve and refine their clarity of speech, word order, enunciation, and message meaning. These skills are paramount to fostering greater self-confidence, comprehension, problem-solving, school readiness, social skills, independence, and overall quality of life. The benefits of…
Read MoreGiGi’s Playhouse Tutoring: The Process and Rewards
Guest post by Yamna Bukhari One of the most priceless services that GiGi’s Playhouse offers are its speech, math, and literacy tutoring programs. The 1:1 in-person tutoring services are tailored to each participant’s unique academic goals and needs. Thanks to so many wonderful volunteers, GiGi’s is able to provide tutoring at no cost to participants…
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Carol Schindler
Interview by Aria Kim Carol Schindler is a devoted sister, aunt, artist, traveler, and retired nurse from NYC, now living in Metro Detroit. She is also a dedicated volunteer with Friends, Fun, & Fitness, LMNOP, Art Explosion, and special events. Carol’s proclivity to service started long ago and has taken her far beyond the local…
Read MoreProgram Spotlight: Teen Tastic
What is Teen Tastic? I think we can all agree, being a teenager is tough! Those years between childhood and “adulting” can feel awkward and uncertain, with so many personal changes and an increasingly complicated world to navigate. It’s often difficult to find confidence in who we are and to feel like we belong. GiGi’s…
Read MoreFather’s Day Spotlight: Pat Craddock
Happy Father’s Day to the amazing DADS in our community! We are sending a heartfelt shout out to the new dads, experienced dads, granddads, dads-in-law, stepdads, like-a-dads, and especially all the dads of individuals with Down syndrome. We’d also like to take this opportunity to highlight one particular super dad in the DS community: Pat…
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Laura Sundt
Laura began volunteering at GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit in the fall of 2021 and has been an enthusiastic, thoughtful, and dedicated addition to the GiGiFIT Toddler and Open Play programs ever since. She shows up weekly with the BEST energy, great ideas, and sometimes even fun new toys to support our participants’ fine and gross motor…
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