Participant Best of All – Frankie
Meet Frankie! Frankie is a new GiGi’s Playhouse San Diego explorer. A man of a few words but with a great sense of style and exploration direction. It can be a bit hard initially to get into that groove when starting something new, but Frankie always seems to have a...
Volunteer Spotlight – Matt
What can we say about Matt but what a fantastic volunteer. From Fantastic Friends, to Fitness to Events, Matt does it all! Welcome to the world of our wonderful volunteer Matt. Matt has been volunteering since June 2022 but in his short amount of time volunteering he has certainly left...
Spotlight Volunteer – Meet Lucy S.
This month one of our Youth Board member/volunteer Lucy has stepped up and has truly blossomed. She has been a member of the Youth Board since January 2022 but didn’t come into her own until just recently with consistently showing up to the Youth Board meetings, actively engaging in the...
Meet our Ambassador Clark – Our Best of All story
November was a busy month for our Ambassador Clark. A huge shout out for his determination in spreading the GiGi’s word of becoming a donor as well as collecting donations for our Party with a Purpose. Clark has a goal of challenging himself and being flexible which we all know...
Stefania’s happy place is the beach!
Stefania and I moved from Cleveland, OH to San Diego to be closer to family...my sisters (aunties). We have lived here now since August 2022 and so happy to be here. Love the sunshine! Stefania's happy place is the beach. For her 16th birthday, she asked to have...
Growing up with a little brother with Down syndrome
Cesilie and Mateo Candelario "When first hearing about the DS diagnosis I cried, a lot. I was scared for the life he would have. I never thought he would live a bad life or be a burden, I was scared of the people that don't understand...
Meet our wonderful NEW Site Manager!
Marissa (Rissa) is a rehabilitation counselor with a specialization in cognitive disabilities. She holds a rehabilitation counseling certification, utilizing her skills in the field of different abilities encouraging folks to explore their gifts in a wide variety of vocational settings, personal development and socialization skills. She is a long-term...
Meet Valerie: our Awesome Volunteer and GiGi’s Kitchen Program Lead
Valerie S. Volunteer at Friends, Fun and Fitness, Fantastic Friends and GiGi's Kitchen Program Lead Valerie S., originally from Riverside, CA has been volunteering with GiGi's Playhouse San Diego since Fall 2021. She started volunteering with GiGi's Playhouse because some of her very best friends in the world have Down...
The magnificent mother-son duo: Trish and Zander Candia
Trish and Zander Candia Our volunteer Trish Candia, originally from Oregon, moved to San Diego because of the SUN! Trish and her son Zander have been consistently volunteering at GiGi’s San Diego for almost 1 year. Trish has been an elementary school teacher for 20 years and felt that...
Meet our little folkloric dancer!
About Carmen Carmen has been participating at Gigi’s Playhouse San Diego since the Summer of 2018. She started with music therapy with Ms. Lindsay. Carmen was so shy and introverted at the time. She was 4 years old at the time and it was the first time Carmen...
GiGiPREP: EmployAble – Our new employment prep program!
We are excited to share with you EmployAble! A GiGi's San Diego new employment prep program. What is EmployAble?The EmployAble program is designed to prepare adults with Down syndrome for employment opportunities and/or professional settings. This program will be led by Valerie Schlieder, a doctoral of Occupational Therapy student who is focusing...
Meet Reilly – Our awesome new intern!
Reilly has ample experience volunteering with special care children, including being a Disability Aide at Messiah Lutheran Church's Vacation Bible School (where she also leads their Sunday School for 3rd graders). She has experience working alongside teachers and students as a Teacher's Aide, focusing on the students' social, emotional, and physical development....