GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge – A Reflection
I’m a long-time volunteer with GiGi’s Playhouse Raleigh. I do not have a child or immediate family member with Down syndrome, so I value opportunities for my own children to be a part of the GiGi’s Playhouse community and learn that we’re all more alike than different. The recent 2022...
Making a Difference
As staff, we have the privilege of experiencing the impactful work our volunteers do every day. YOU set the example, and our Programs Coordinator didn't want to miss out. That's why Laura signed on for literacy tutoring. Below is a note from her student's mother: "I am writing to you...
Volunteer Spotlight
This week is Volunteer Appreciation Week, and we can't let it pass by without mentioning one of the BEST! Kim Eyerman has played a huge role here at our Playhouse. As many of you know, Kim has been involved with our adult participants where she has helped build an incredible...
Talking all things GiGi’s with Elizabeth a committed participant!
ALL things GiGi’s with Elizabeth H If you are a frequent visitor of GiGi’s Playhouse Raleigh then you have probably met Elizabeth Heenan, a 37-year-old woman with Down syndrome who is a very active member of GiGi’s! She has been volunteering and participating at GiGi’s Playhouse Raleigh since 2017! We...
Freely changing lives by giving their time!
The definition of a volunteer is “a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.” Yes, you read that right; FREELY offers to take part in a task. A volunteer gives up their time, energy, and so many other priceless parts of themselves to help a cause. GiGi’s is a 99% Volunteer run organization which...
I learned the importance of acceptance, love, kindness, and joy through every encounter!
I am so grateful for my time working at GiGi’s Playhouse in Raleigh this summer. I learned the importance of acceptance, love, kindness, and joy through every encounter. I also got to see the behind-the-scenes of program creation and implementation. I had the opportunity to help with the Gratitude Committee,...
Why Community Support Matters <3
When I was 23 years old and fresh out of college, I became a Developmental Therapist. My job entailed going to different daycares and people’s homes in the Raleigh area and helping children, ages birth-3 years old, to meet their developmental milestones. There was so much joy in getting to support parents on their journey of helping their children take...
“Working with GiGi’s Amina Grace Speech & Language Program has been amazing”
The most enjoyable part about volunteering at GiGis is working with my clients. To see how hard they work and improve is an extremely rewarding feeling. I’m glad they have a place like GiGi’s Playhouse to help them excel! ~ Joyah M Working with GiGi’s Amina Grace Speech & Language...
The Gen G youth board is a unique group of people because we all came together with the same goal in mind, acceptance.
After volunteering at GiGi's playhouse on my own for a year, it was wonderful to join the Gen G youth board and be surrounded by a group of teens who loved GiGi's as much as I did. From the youth board, I learned more about the Generation G movement which...
Welcome, Summer 2021 Intern Blair King
Hey y’all! My name is Blair King, and I am a junior at Elon University. I am currently studying Exercise Science with hopes of becoming an Occupational Therapist. I am originally from Raleigh, NC and am the youngest of three. I am so excited to get more involved with the...
Being a part of GiGi’s first as a sibling provided me with a unique perspective in all of the jobs I was given during my internship.
My family and I have been a part of the GiGi's Playhouse family since I was in middle school when we were first introduced to the amazing work they were doing for individuals with Down syndrome. We were more than thrilled to start bringing my younger sister Meredith, who has...
My Virtual Literacy Tutoring Experience…
BLOG POST WRITTEN BY: Adasyn Neuwirth, GiGi's Raleigh Intern (Spring 2021) My time spent in the learning lab this semester was a time of growth for both me and my participant. I had the pleasure of working with the warm and smiley Andrew, and his wonderful caretaker, Miss Joy for...