Building Bridges: GiGi’s Changes Lives through Community Businesses 

Local businesses are the heart of every community. 

While platforms like Amazon have made online shopping more popular than ever, there’s still no substitute for stepping into a local shop — a florist, coffee shop, or countless other brick-and-mortars — and interacting with local employees and businesses owners. Entering small businesses allows consumers to get to know integral members of their communities. 

At GiGi’s Playhouse, we know a thing or two about being a vital part of a community.  

Our network of 61 Playhouses provide FREE therapeutic and educational programs for individuals with Down syndrome and their families, serving as pillars of support in their respective communities. Within our walls, community members find a safe space to gain meaningful exposure and engage with individuals with Down syndrome and other disabilities. 

Some of our Playhouses are taking this exposure a step further by operating local businesses! Our Fort Wayne, Phoenix, and National/Hoffman Estates Playhouses all feature their own businesses, including coffee shops and juice bars, all run by our adult participants! 

These local businesses serve multiple purposes. First and foremost, they address a larger societal problem: nearly 80% of individuals with disabilities are unemployed! This staggering unemployment rate represents one of the biggest challenges the Down syndrome community faces. 

But GiGi’s is addressing this issue. In addition to our FREE career development programs, these local Playhouse businesses — like our Hugs & Mugs Cafe at our National Playhouse — provide adult participants with hands-on job experience. This not only helps them develop essential skills but also gives them invaluable real-world experience. With this job experience under their belt, our participants are better equipped to seek employment in their communities! 

The impact of these businesses extends beyond our participants; they impact the entire community. People from all walks of life, often unfamiliar with Down syndrome, visit these businesses—after all, everyone needs a cup of coffee, a smoothie, or some gelato. 

It’s in these brief moments — when someone with limited experience interacting with individuals with Down syndrome steps inside the doors of one of our Playhouse’s businesses that real change occurs. Community members quickly discover that our employees are like those at any other business. They work hard, are welcoming, and are fun to talk to! 

These moments facilitate understanding. Community members begin to see that individuals with Down syndrome share many similarities with the rest of society. They learn that these individuals are so much more than a diagnosis — they’re unique individuals with different wants, dreams, desires, and personalities! 

Beyond this, these businesses provide visible representation for the Down syndrome community. Due to segregation often seen in schools, neurotypical individuals are unaware of how many people with intellectual disabilities live in their communities. However, stepping inside one of our businesses serves as a powerful reminder of their presence. 

This realization inspires the community to foster a more accepting and inclusive environment. As a result of these interactions, many community members become motivated to create more job opportunities for individuals with disabilities, generating a ripple effect that addresses the unemployment challenges Down syndrome community faces. 

At the end of the day, passionate community members are the cornerstone of every community. GiGi’s Playhouse and our local 61+ locations are here to remind everyone that individuals with Down syndrome are valuable members of those communities!