Making dreams come true thanks to friends like you!!!
Hello All!
All of our Playhouses are opening and serving families both virtually and in person! With a spike in regression, social anxiety and fear in our population, and their families, it was important to offer safe, in person programming but still continue with our virtual learning for those who need it.
As we have found, the demand for Playhouses and GiGi’s programming is not slowing down! We are opening our 56th Playhouse in Denver this fall, plus we are now serving families in over 55 countries with our free educational and therapeutic programming!
More and more families are now seeking ways to engage in GiGi’s programs but don’t have a physical playhouse nearby, so we’re building a “Virtual Playhouse”! This will not only deliver GiGi’s At Home programming and 1-on-1 tutoring, but also provide virtual communities to enable greater connectedness among families around the world! Serving thousands of families, this will be the largest “Playhouse” in the GiGi’s network!
I am blessed to see the impacts of GiGi’s by our participants multiple times a day. Below is an impact and story from one of our participants that has done both in person and virtual classes and will now be a teachers assistant in our LMNOP program as she pursues her career in American Sign Language! Please take the time to take a look and be inspired!
To help us train and manage all these amazing volunteer we have created and built the GiGi’s LMS (Learning Management System). This is a game changer for a 99% volunteer run organization! Thank you Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation for giving us the seed money to start this project! You truly are helping us change the world!
“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” – Sherry Anderson
Hosting National Volunteer Orientation through GiGi’s At Home started as a way for the national office to assist our network of Playhouses across the country throughout COVID, but it has turned into so much more. Being able to connect with these selfless individuals who are motivated to get involved to support the mission of GiGi’s Playhouse has been truly inspiring for all involved. As an organization, we can not provide the thousands of programming hours without our dedicated and talented volunteers. The GiGi’s At Home, Virtual Playhouse trainings are here to stay and we are thrilled to help connect amazing people with a volunteer job that will for sure change their life!
No matter your location or your available hours, GiGi’s is the place for you to invest your time and talents.
Join us virtually through GiGi’s At Home! This exciting opportunity will give you the ability to meeting amazing people from all over the world!
You can also choose to volunteer in person at the National Office or the Hoffman Estates Playhouse!
Lilly and the Pink Leprechaun is Spreading Acceptance and Partnering with GiGi’s!
Showcasing how we can all be friends even when we are different, Lilly and the Pink Leprechaun is a sweet story of friendship that we know you will enjoy.
We are so thankful to have the support of author Jim Boland and Illustrator Rich Flatley. Rich has a grand daughter who has attended the Hoffman location since she was born. GiGi’s has been like a second home to his family and he wants to spread the word about GiGi’s to the world!
Proceeds from each book are being donated back to GiGi’s Playhouse to support FREE programs offered at GiGi’s Playhouse Hoffman Estates.
Even though our golf outing sold out, you can still join the fun, enjoy the stunning views of the Club at Wynstone, AND celebrate acceptance and achievement.
Join us for dinner that includes live music, silent auction, guest speaker, great food and more. What an incredible way to end your day!
Spotlight your business with a hole sponsorship! Showcase your commitment to acceptance on the green!
At GiGi’s Playhouse, we never stop building and developing tools to support individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the communities they live in. Through incredible partnerships we continue to move forward, our gratitude is overflowing.
Special thanks to Voya Cares Foundation for their incredible gift of $50,000 that supports our FREE one-on-one Math Tutoring Program Nationally. With these funds, we will continue to design and develop lesson plans to go along with progressions of the program for each participant to integrate STEM into learning and to increase financial literacy in our learners.
We are also hard at work building and piloting lessons for our GiGi’s Kitchen Kids program that will be launched nationally in the coming months. We could not do this work without the generous support of an anonymous donor! These grants are creating opportunities for confidence, skill-building, and achievement!
From our large grantors to our monthly donors, no gift is too small. Every gift received reminds our community that they are believed in. Thank you to everyone who invests in the mission of GiGi’s Playhouse!
Every purchase made from the GiGi’s store not only directly supports GiGi University and our Hugs & Mugs program, it shows your pride and belief in the mission of acceptance. Check out our incredible items today!
Changing the Game: NFL Players Support GiGi’s Playhouse for ‘My Cause My Cleats’
December 19, 2024
Sometimes, exposure makes all the difference. This year, as NFL fans fought through their food comas to watch their favorite team during Thanksgiving weekend, many saw special cleats. These cleats didn’t have “Nike,” “Adidas,” or “Jordan” etched on the side; instead, they had a different organization scribbled across them: GiGi’s...
A New Chapter in Acceptance: ‘GiGi’s Journey’
December 12, 2024
Books are powerful tools; after all, they can transport readers to magical, mythical lands that exist solely within the pages of the story. But stories don’t just send readers to fictitious places. Fiction and nonfiction books alike can help readers understand real places, people, and topics. And sometimes, stories can...
December 2024 Newsletter
December 10, 2024
FREE PROGRAMS 61 LOCATIONS GLOBAL ACCEPTANCE A Word from the Chief Belief Officer - Nancy Gianni Hello GiGi's Change Makers! Can you believe it?!? The year is almost over! As I reflect on 2024, I am so grateful for our incredible GiGi's network! From opening our 59th, 60th, and 61st...
