Hello Friend!

I feel so blessed and honored to get this opportunity to address our entire GiGi’s network each quarter to show you what we can do together! Last weekend we opened our 56th location in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Orange County is right behind them in November! Like EVERY GiGi’s Playhouse, these playhouses are not built by a bunch of lifelong friends or a corporation with tons of money. They are not built by the state or government. They are built by virtual strangers who all bond together as volunteers for the greater good. They roll up their sleeves, they hit the streets, they laugh, they cry, they fight, they beg and they SUCCEED! THEY make all this happen and then continue to serve their families and every one of YOU makes all this possible! Thank you!

In November, GiGi’s Inc hosts our Annual Leadership Conference in Chicago. 61 GiGi’s Playhouse locations and startups unite for a jam-packed 5-day GiGi’s Leadership conference full of education, inspiration, training and tons of fun! With 71 speakers, 85 break-out sessions, and our adults helping to host, it is sure to be something your Playhouse will not want to miss! If you are interested in sponsoring a Playhouse or participant to attend, please click here
. #strongertogether

Quick Mom brag! From singing the National Anthem at Wrigley Field, to Fox and Friends in NYC, to the Country Music stage in Missouri, GiGi has been representing and inspiring this summer! We are so grateful for her determination and for the programs at GiGi’s Playhouse that helped her overcome the unique challenges individuals with Down syndrome face and allowed her to achieve her dreams! Her poise during the Fox interview really showed the skills she learned in the GiGi’s Ambassadors program
!

Thank you ALL for accepting GiGi and all her friends and providing them with the programs, skills and courage to be the best they can be!

XOXO,
Nancy

Congratulations Tiarra Reger from Denver! Your September submission of #myDSstory won you AND your Playhouse each a $500 Amazon Gift Card!

This year’s theme is “Acceptance Through Understanding”.

As a network, we can empower people around the world to advocate for individuals with Down syndrome! Throughout October, we will share the moments that have shaped the lives of people with Down syndrome and those who love them.
We need YOU to share your DS story!! Send us your pictures, stories and videos here!

Other ways to take action this month:
• 21 Days of Acceptance
• 321 Rocks
• Activity Book
• Take the “Iacceptyou.org” Pledge

Luke and Jace, born on the same day, and at the same hospital, celebrate their 1st Birthdays!

A year ago yesterday, both Luke and Jace entered the world, but neither knew of the other until a GiGi’s social media group brought their families together.

Read how these two boys (and their moms) have grown into lifelong friends in the past year and the way one family is thanking GiGi’s Playhouse for its role in their development.

Make Volunteering a Family Affair

Pres and Priyanka started volunteering in 2015 with the thought of what they would bring to the participants of GiGi’s Playhouse, only to find out how much was brought to them.

Watch this 1 min clip and be inspired!

GiGi’s New Growth Model

Our Virtual Education Platform, GiGi’s At Home, has changed our business model and catapulted us into serving new areas and countries:

Underserved populations
Rural
Inner city
International – 83 countries

We are implementing a Regional Model to better serve our ever-growing GiGi’s network! Below you can see your playhouse and what region you fall in!

A Message From Development

As we anticipate year-end celebrations with friends and family, many of us are considering how our charitable dollars can change the world.

DID YOU KNOW: While GiGi’s Programs are purposeful, progressive, and always FREE, it is ONLY BECAUSE of the charitable support of donors like YOU that GiGi’s Playhouse can develop programs, create educational materials, and reach families who urgently need our help.

End-of-year giving is a very special opportunity to celebrate those individuals, groups and organizations impacting the world in ways that are important to us, and to make gifts that support their work. We need you!

As they say, it takes a village!
We need YOU.
We need 100% participation of our community to fulfill our mission.

Your gift matters. Whether you donate, advocate, or volunteer,
YOU make the difference. Click here to learn more

Our Learning Management System, or the GiGi’s Training Site as we call it, was launched almost one year ago! In that year, we launched over 430 training lessons with videos and written content, and we have trained nearly 3,300 volunteers, board members, and employees on the site. While our volunteers gain the benefit of consistent training where they can learn on their own time schedule! #gamechanger

GiGiFIT Movement Tracker Helps Build Daily Wellness Habits

April 17, 2024

by Kim Hanna It’s a universal issue: most of us struggle to build fitness into our daily lives. In theory, it sounds easy, and it is...until life happens. We get busy, priorities shift, and tasks that were once daily routine get pushed to the back burner. As parents, we naturally...

GiGi’s Playhouse receives groundbreaking $2 million MacKenzie Scott grant

April 10, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 10, 2024 – GiGi’s Playhouse, the only network of Down Syndrome Achievement Centers, has been awarded a $2 million grant by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving. With over 6,300 nonprofits applying, GiGi’s was one of only 361 organizations selected to win the prestigious grant. Originally, GiGi’s...

My Great Aunt Joanie

April 2, 2024

This story was submitted via #MyDsStory. Submit your story here before April 11 and have a chance to win $250 for you and your Playhouse. Written by our guest writer, Claire Parker My Great Aunt Joanie was born in Dillon, SC in 1950 with a third copy of her twenty-first...

Quarterly Newsletter – Sept 2022