The Life of an Amazing Volunteer!

GiGi’s Playhouse is very fortunate to have the dedicated hard work of some amazing volunteers to keep us going strong! One of these volunteers is Lauren Abry. We had one of our GiGi Professionals, Brian Rogala, interview her in our new GiGi Professional space to find out more about her. Here’s how it went:

Brian: How did you become interested in GiGi’s?

Lauren: My mom has been volunteering at GiGi U and GiGi Prep for about five years. I had been to GiGi’s before with her and thought the work that was happening here was great!

Brian: What do you want to accomplish here?

Lauren: I am an occupational theray student finishing up my doctoral work here. I am working on program development to create programs for Hugs and Mugs that will allow the interns to develop the skills they need to be independent and find meaningful work in the community!

Brian: What is something new you’ve learned?

Lauren: By working here and meeting all of the interns, I have learned that everyone has different things that they are good at. This is important in order to understand the strengths of each intern so you can help them be their best.

Brian: Where do you go to school?

Lauren: I went to school at Washington University in St. Louis as an occupational therapy student.

Brian: Do you have any pets?

Lauren: I have a dog! She’s four and a half and her name is Paisley. She’s my favorite!

Brian: Do you like any movies?

Lauren: I actually just saw A Star is Born, and it was really good! I recommend you go see it!

Brian: Do you like to read?

Lauren: I read a lot of books! When I was younger, my favorite was the Harry Potter series! Now, I love to read mystery novels about cops and bad guys. Do you like to read?

Brian: I do. I’m making my own book. (Brian loves to talk about the infamous book that he’s writing!)

Lauren: That’s amazing! What all do you do here?

Brian: I work here. I work in Hugs where I make mugs, bottles, and coffee. In the office, I answer phones, give tours, and write acknowledgement letters.

Lauren: Wow, you’re such a great employee! They’re lucky to have you. Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for me?

Brian: Always be happy and positive and say hi to people!

Lauren: That’s great advice! Thank you so much for interviewing me!

Lauren grew up being very involved in a program called Special Needs Athletic Program that was created at her high school. She also worked at the Special Recreation Association of Central Lake County and ran weekly and summer camp programs for children, teens, and adults with a variety of disabilities. As a soon-to-be occupational therapist, she is passionate about working with individuals to facilitate skills that allow for independence. She has always been interested in a community health approach and creating programs that will touch the lives of a great number of people.

GiGi’s Playhouse couldn’t be what it is without our volunteers who keep us going how we do! Lauren is doing fantastic things and we love having her! If you’d like to volunteer with GiGi’s Playhouse, visit our website!

https://gigisplayhouse.org/hoffmanestates/hoffman-estates-volunteer-form

-Hurain Jaffry