Volunteer Spotlight – Beth Takemoto

Please help us celebrate Beth Takemoto as the Volunteer Spotlight this month.  Beth has been volunteering at the Playhouse for about 4 years. 

Beth works for John Deere as a Manufacturing Engineering Supervisor.  She attended Iowa State University with a major in Industrial Engineering and earned an EMBA from Iowa . She has a busy demanding job but still finds time to volunteer here at the Playhouse. We are just as honored to have her here as she is to be here!

How did you hear about GiGi’s Playhouse? Driving down John Deere Road and saw the sign and looked it up and was very excited to hear about all of the great things it did for the community!

Why did you choose GiGi’s as a place to volunteer and are you volunteering for a specific reason? I chose to volunteer for GiGi’s because I have a strong tie to families with Down syndrome as my older sister Lisa, has Down syndrome.

What has your experience been here at the Playhouse? I started out just attending a couple of events and then chose GiGi’s Playhouse as my volunteer spot for work which then led me to become a Tutor and a board member.  I soon became a part of the Gala committee and have the co-chair for the past 3 years.

What do you want others to know about volunteering at the Playhouse? I want everyone to know that GiGi’s runs on volunteers and it is so important to helping our families.  It is a great opportunity to be able to see the families and the impact you are having in real time and there is not one person I have met who has not had a positive experience by working and helping the families!

Tell us about your favorite moment/experience while volunteering.  Every single tutoring session is basically a treat I give myself.  Every single session has been such a positive experience and I am so impressed with how all of the kiddos and adults represent themselves and make such progress in such a short amount of time.  I am so honored to be a part of the GiGi’s family and hope others get the opportunity to do so as well!

Beth is a blessing to our local Playhouse and we hope that if you see her you will join us in saying thank you ! If you would like to know more about volunteering at the Playhouse visit gigisplayhouse.org/quadcities.