The home that Arkansas built…

GiGi’s Playhouse is coming together!!! It’s so hard to believe that in just 5 days we will stand side by side with our family, friends and the rest of Arkansas as we welcome in a new era of possibilities for Arkansans with Down syndrome.

2 years ago as our team sat around a crowded conference table, we were frustrated because we had so many volunteers and people willing to help but no physical place for them to assemble. We had therapy centers and schools and preschools and doctors’ offices and other places but no place for our kids to just gather or to have a birthday party… someplace where they could be safe and happy and feel like they belong.

That’s when Tricia Ambeau came forward with a solution…. a solution called GiGi’s Playhouse. She showed our group the pictures of other playhouses, of other families just like ours who were not only receiving services but were receiving so much more; they were receiving community and fellowship like we could only dream of. So that’s what we did, we dreamed. We dreamed of a place where our children could come and grow, where our adults could come and continue learning and build relationships, of a place where our teenagers could come without the fear of ever being bullied or looked down on. We dreamed of a place where parents could come and fall onto a couch after a long day of therapies and doctors’ appointments and tantrums and just life, and feel like they are understood. And that’s exactly what we’ve done…

We have built a home with 2 fully equipped learning labs for therapies and tutoring. Our home has a huge family room with toys, a stage to showcase all the talent our kids/adults have, an art center to foster creativity and learning, and a couch for anyone to come and relax. Our home has a GiGi Fit studio with an entire wall of mirrors, yoga balls, and other exercise equipment to build strong muscles and confidence in participants of all ages. We have a learning kitchen to be able to teach self-care and cooking classes and we will have a washer dryer to allow participants to practice doing their own laundry, encouraging independence. We have a sensory friendly library (name of room to be revealed at Grand Opening), to build a love of reading, learning and exploring to bring out the Best Of All in all our participants. We have built a home that is ready to accept all Arkansans… and in 4 short days, we will be able to say….

Welcome, Arkansas, to your GiGi’s Playhouse!!! Come on in!!