It happened at GiGi’s Playhouse in 2016…

Thank you for your belief in the mission and vision of GiGi’s Playhouse Hillsborough. It is because of you that achievements, friendships and memories are made every day at GiGi’s.

Jack & Joseph enjoying their time at the Teen Tastic program.

In 2016, individuals with Down syndrome walked through the Playhouse doors over 1,000 times. A new family came to the Playhouse in February with 8-month twin boys: one with Down syndrome and the other typical. After some online research she found GiGi’s Playhouse and called.  Our call ended with my promise to introduce her to another mom who also has twin boys (one with Down syndrome and one typical) and her belief that GiGi’s Playhouse is definitely “a place that her family can grow with.”

Our dedicated volunteers donated 3,600 hours of their time and five new programs were added to the monthly calendar. Joseph had been apprehensive about coming to GiGi’s Playhouse Hillsborough. He is not a fan of groups or group activities, but once he learned a friend of his from school, Jack, was a volunteer at GiGi’s that all changed. Jack encouraged Joseph to attend a few of the teen programs in which he volunteered with, and Joseph has not missed a program since. The friendship between Joseph and Jack goes beyond the playhouse; thanks to Jack, Joseph is one of the guys at school and everyday he eats lunch with Jack and friends!

The Mayor of GiGi’s, Jason, with the Mayor of Hillsborough.

Thank you for believing in the mission and vision of GiGi’s Playhouse Hillsborough, and for helping us realize the dream of creating a world where individuals with Down syndrome are accepted by their community. During Down Syndrome Acceptance Month, it happened that Fantastic Friends, our adult social program, fell on October 21st. In honor of the month, and our awesome program participants, we invited members of the community who have been supporters of GiGi’s Playhouse Hillsborough to join us for a pizza party. Our guests included Mayor Frank DelCore, local business owners and a very supportive donor who drove from Cape Cod, MA!

2017 will bring more programs, including the one-on-one math tutoring, music and life skills development, and we can’t wait!