Meet Our Program Leaders

Our Volunteers: that is what makes GiGi’s Playhouse special from other organizations.  The dedication they bring as program leaders, with their very hands on approach working with our families and participants creates such a warm and welcoming environment that we are consistently welcoming more and more families all the time to our growing community.  Each of our volunteers has different stories of why GiGi’s Playhouse Hillsborough is special to them and why they continue to be a part of our ever-growing family. Here are a few stories of some of our amazing program leaders.

Laura, our 2 & Under Playgroup leader first discovered GiGI’s Playhouse when she was looking for a volunteer opportunity that she could connect with emotionally.  After reading that the Playhouse was coming to Hillsborough, she knew she found the right place.  “I was at one of the very first volunteer orientations and that confirmed I had made the right decision,” says Laura.  “My favorite part of volunteering with the 2 & under group is that I can hold new babies, get warm, beautiful hugs from young children and getting to know each of the families.  I have learned so much about Down syndrome, the abilities of the individuals, the struggles the families face and how unbelievably important a place like GiGi’s is in their lives.”

Laura’s goal and hope is that more families in the area find out about GiGI’s and the programs offered.  The more people know, the more people there will be to help, and the more each family will learn as well. Now that the 2 & Under group has joined with the 3-5-year-old group (Leaps & Bounds), it is the hope to have the parents interact with these families so they can learn what to expect and what they can do to give their child every opportunity.

Anna runs Art Explosion, this is a program, as she puts it “Children, teaching, and art, or some combination thereof, have always been where I felt I was called to be. When I was told that there was a non-profit center for children with Down syndrome opening in Hillsborough and looking for volunteers, I came in, and long story short, here I still am.”  She has been running Art Explosion since.

Making the acquaintance of so many wonderful people involved in GiGi’s Playhouse—the students, fellow volunteers, and the families, they really are the best part, and a gift to be able to get to know, says Anna.  The second-best part for her is the ability to combine both her major and minor (Special Education and Studio/Digital Arts) in a real-life setting, for the enjoyment of those who participate.   With the benefits of the new location, Anna is looking forward to introducing more 3D art experiences with the use of Clay and more to our participants.

Meghan runs little Gymnasts. She started volunteering at GiGi’s because she had heard about the various types of programs we provided and saw it as a great opportunity to give back to the community. “I am also interested in becoming a special education teacher,” says Meghan.  Currently Meghan works as a preschool gymnastics coach at Gymnastics Unlimited in Flemington, NJ, allowing her to bring some of the activities and games used there to our participants them moving and having fun at GiGi’s.

“I thought by volunteering for this program, I be able to would gain some of the background knowledge and experience needed to be a teacher,” Meghan says, “my favorite thing about volunteering is seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces as they get to interact with others while having fun and getting the exercise they need.“

Danielle is the program leader for LMNOP and teaches children basic sign language and other forms of communication. She came to GiGi’s with previous volunteer experience at other charities that provided services to children.

“When I found out that there was a non-profit organization for children and adults with Down syndrome in the same town I live in, I knew I wanted to be involved somehow,” Danielle said.  “I decided to volunteer at Gigi’s Playhouse because I wanted to do something to give back to my community and because I have always enjoyed working with children with Down syndrome,“ says Danielle.

As an aspiring speech-language pathologist, Danielle’s favorite part about volunteering as the program leader for the LMNOP program is that it combines her love for working with children and her passion for teaching communication strategies.

She looks forward to building relationships with the parents and children that attend the program; and strengthening the participants’ functional communication strategies by teaching a few reoccurring signs throughout several programs. Danielle would also like to provide parents with some take-home materials that will help their children use these learned signs at home.

Namaste! Amanda is our Yoga Program leader.  When she first came to GiGI’s Playhouse Hillsborough she told us “my uncle has Down syndrome and I grew up going to programs with him and one of my favorite memories from my childhood was a fishing tournament, ran by the Special Olympics.”  Amanda’s son also on the Autism spectrum and she is able to bring him to programs at GiGi’s allowing her to give back to her community and allow her son to give back as well.

Her favorite thing about volunteering is the atmosphere; it is a complete judgment free zone where everyone just wants to have fun. She is looking forward to bringing in more mindfulness and gratitude practices that the program participants can take away and do at home in between sessions as well.

We hope you enjoyed our stories of our amazing leaders and maybe will even consider being a leader yourself one day. Visit our online calendar at www.gigisplayhouse.org/hillsborough/calendar for a list of upcoming programs and know when you can come see our program leaders and volunteers in action!