Meet Rita & Abbey

Isn’t GiGi’s Playhouse just fabulous? It does say “playhouse” after all. When we lived in Wisconsin, I had heard of GiGi’s but never took advantage of any of the programs. I didn’t think they applied to my daughter who was well past being a baby! But when we moved to NC a year ago, I was so anxious to help Abbey, who was 33 years old, find a place to fit in and feel comfortable. Moving was a big deal for us. I had lost my husband and Abbey’s dad to Covid, she was leaving a job she loved and worked at for 13 years, plus leaving all her Special Olympics and YMCA friends.

So, I just started looking for places to help – and GiGi’s was one of the first on the list. What a blessing that was! It wasn’t just for babies… they had a great offering for adults with Down syndrome, as well, and everyone was so welcoming. We immediately found that GiGi’s was a place to begin our love for programming. Not only was I able to plug Abbey into several programs at GiGi’s, but the staff was so helpful to give us more recommendations of other programs that might be helpful as well.

Today, a year later, Abbey’s schedule is full once again with activities about which she is so excited and from where she’s growing and learning and making new friends.

Thank you, GiGi’s Raleigh. You were our North Carolina safe haven.

~Rita Goodwin, Abbey’s Mom