Celebrating Meredith: Our Shining Star at GiGi’s!

Introduction: At GiGi’s, we have the pleasure of spotlighting exceptional individuals who embody the true spirit of our community. This time, we are overjoyed to feature Meredith as our ‘Participant Best of All!’ With her vibrant personality and active involvement in numerous programs, she has become a cherished member of our GiGi’s family. Let’s take…

Read More

Nick’s Journey: Empowering Voices at GiGi’s Playhouse

At GiGi’s Playhouse, we witness incredible stories of growth and triumph every day. Our participants, like Nick, inspire us with their determination and progress. Nick has been a part of our community, engaging in our Amina Grace program, which is 1:1 speech therapy with our dedicated NCCU speech/language therapy graduate students. We are thrilled to…

Read More

Volunteer Spotlight

Nicholas is a new volunteer to us. He is a high school student and has been looking to get more involved in his community. He has spent almost every Saturday morning with us volunteering for Sensory Saturday and Kindergarten Readiness led by Locus. He is going to be a math tutor and is planning to…

Read More

GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge Story, By: Ashley Schoenfisch

Nearly 30 years ago, I began my journey as a distance runner, and I believe strongly that distance running should be accessible and inclusive.  Over the past 6 months, I had the opportunity to train alongside Playhouse participant Lucía for the GiGiFIT Acceptance Challenge 5K.  Before I share our story, it’s important to say “Thank…

Read More

Employment and why it matters

Meaningful employment is an essential aspect of a fulfilling life for all individuals, including those who experience Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Here are some reasons why meaningful employment is important to people who experience Down syndrome and other IDD: This is why we work so hard at GiGi’s! We see…

Read More

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Joyce! She started volunteering with GiGi’s in January. Since then, she has made it a point to participate in every program that we offer at GiGi’s! She has been so kind, helpful and a joy to be around. Recently, she has stepped up to help with our Fantastic Friends Lunch & Learn program. She…

Read More

Best of All – Lossie & Thomas

“Good, Better, Best! Never Let It Rest! Until Your Good Is Better, And Your Better Is Best!”                               Author Unknown While there are a few sources of this quote, I love it and subscribe to it because it is one of the…

Read More

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Rita! She is a Playhouse Mom to one of our adult participants, Abbey. Rita and Abbey recently moved to the area from Wisconsin after Rita’s husband passed away. Rita’s daughter lives in Chapel Hill, so they decided to move to be closer. They were previously involved in a Playhouse in Wisconsin and when they…

Read More

Grace’s Letter

Grace, one of our participants, has had the same pen pal for more than two years. Recently, she wrote the following letter, talking about her role at our Gala. We are so proud of Grace!   

Read More