Honored Recipients of PaY Grants!

Over the course of this winter, the Playhouse hosted tours and Q & A’s for local PaY committees from various high schools.  PaY (Philanthropy and Youth), is a program developed by the Barry Foundation with the vision to help youth in our community inspire, lead and share through grant-making.  First, students ask to come see the Playhouse, and we of course say “Yes!”.  We love hosting all these amazing groups made up of future leaders.  We greet the students with a tour, take time to talk about Down syndrome and acceptance, and how we fulfill our purpose and serve local families and individuals through programming, networking, resources and outreach.

Once students complete their site visits to local non-profits, they develop a mission of their own and grant money to local organizations with direction to help fulfill their created missions.  GiGi’s Playhouse Fargo was the recipient of THREE separate grants, all with specific goals to help make our playhouse stronger!!

Thank you to these schools for believing in GiGi’s mission:

• Davies High School: $500 to purchase cooking supplies to build our life skills programming.
• Oak Grove High School: $500 to strengthen our programming for teenagers and put up mirrors to create a studio for fitness classes.
• West Fargo High School: $725 for learning room and supplies for our literacy tutoring.

We are so grateful to the students of the local PaY programs, for not only seeking out GiGi’s Playhouse and wanting to learn more, but for seeing our potential.  These youth leaders BELIEVE in our mission to change the way the world views Down syndrome and have given us the opportunity to be better.  We are incredibly proud of these students and for the missions they have chosen and the needs they recognized within our playhouse.

Now it is our turn to make these additions and fulfill these grant requests, strengthening the  support to these families and individuals to help them grow, develop and achieve their best.  These PaY committees believe in us and we cannot wait to share our future successes with them.  And you!  #GenerationG