Volunteer Appreciation Award 

There are many elements that go into a successful program: research-based instruction, multi-sensory approaches, individualized adaptations, and one of the most important ingredients: love for our participants. It is plain to see the love our volunteers have for the participants in each program. So many of them come early, stay late, and return season after…

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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Axelle Ballarin 

Guest Blogger: Elie Kim, sister of one of our participants and young volunteer for our playhouse- age 16 Axelle Ballarin is an astounding GiGi’s volunteer. As she has volunteered at GiGi’s for almost a few years, Axelle has made a huge impact on the community through her love and enthusiasm with others. Axelle participates as…

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Literacy Tutoring and Kendyl’s Best of All

“What I love most about reading: It gives you the ability to reach higher ground. And keep climbing.” ― Oprah Winfrey Like everyone in the world, the ability to read opens doors for individuals with Down syndrome in all areas of life – including but not limited to – the workplace, schools, and community. Expanding reading…

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Caring Hands ~ Blanket Making Event with WSU

Over the years GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit and Wayne State University have partnered in many impactful ways: through grad students leading our Amina Grace Speech Therapy Program, pre-med students assisting with group programs and tutoring, and most recently, a community service group called Caring Hands reached out to us with an idea for a fun way…

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Volunteer Spotlight: Jelena Verkler

Allow us to introduce you to the wonderful Jelena Verkler! Jelena began volunteering at GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit in December 2022, by jumping right in with participants in Kids Club, Open Play, Drama Troupe, and as a Literacy Tutor! Jelena shows up week after week with the best attitude, and everyone at the Playhouse can feel…

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Spotlight on Drama Troupe & Aric’s #BestOfAll

“I regard the theater as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it’s like to be a human being.” – Oscar Wilde.   Since we began offering Drama Troupe in 2020, the goal has always remained the same: create a…

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Volunteer Spotlight: Lauren Leotti

We are incredibly fortunate to have Lauren Leotti on our team of volunteers, faithfully supporting our programs and operations as an assistant with Drama Troupe, GiGiFIT Toddler, and LMNOP, as well as tutoring individuals in Math and Literacy. Lauren brings unparalleled intelligence, patience, creativity, and warmth to her relationships with participants, while holding high standards…

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Program Leader Spotlight: Meghan Zidar

At the end of this past spring, our long time and fabulous leader of GiGiFIT Toddler, Denise Hubbard, let us know she needed to take a break. Of course we were going to miss Denise, and for a short time we weren’t sure what would happen with this invaluable program. We knew Meghan Zidar, a…

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Changing How the World Views Down Syndrome

444 Students  23 Teachers  6 Grade levels  1 School helping with 1 Mission: To Change the Way the World Views Down Syndrome.   Guest post by Kathleen Tynes Addams Elementary School in Royal Oak has been a long-time supporter of GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit. Back in 2022, Sarah, a parent from our Playhouse and former teacher at…

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