{"id":141797,"date":"2026-01-06T12:30:51","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/syracuse\/?p=141797"},"modified":"2026-01-06T12:30:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:30:51","slug":"volunteer-spotlight-celebrating-community-connection-and-kindness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/syracuse\/uncategorized\/volunteer-spotlight-celebrating-community-connection-and-kindness","title":{"rendered":"Volunteer Spotlight: Celebrating Community, Connection, and Kindness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Meet Meghan!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Syracuse, our volunteers are the heartbeat of everything we do. This month, we\u2019re excited to highlight a dedicated, upbeat, and deeply valued member of our community whose kindness shines in every program he touches. Meet our Volunteer Spotlight: Meghan<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Family plays a huge role in her life. She has two brothers, a nephew named Jimmy, and two nieces, Rose and Tess. When she\u2019s not snowboarding, exercising, or staying active outdoors, you can usually find her spending time with her nieces and nephews\u2014babysitting, or playing baseball in the neighborhood <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two years ago, Meghan stepped into GiGi\u2019s Playhouse for the very first time. Her girlfriend, Lexi<\/strong>, brought her along to help with Teen Kitchen\u2014and after that one class, she was hooked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI found a community I never knew existed and have loved getting to know so many new people.\u201d  What started as helping for a day quickly turned into a passion for supporting our teens and being part of something meaningful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meghan co-teaches Teen Kitchen<\/strong>, creating fun, hands-on cooking experiences that build both skills and confidence. You\u2019ll also see her lending a hand at many of our events\u2014races, holiday celebrations, and any time an extra pair of hands is needed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volunteer work has always been a part of Meghan\u2019s life. In high school and college, she spent time serving at warming houses and soup kitchens\u2014experiences that taught her the power of purpose and community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGiGi\u2019s does an amazing job at creating a community for others, and it\u2019s something I wanted to be a part of since my first day in Teen Kitchen.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her heart for service continues to guide her, and that spirit is felt every time she walks into the Playhouse. For Meghan, the highlight of every week is simple\u2014the people<\/strong>. She loves meeting new friends, spending time with participants, and watching each teen grow. The laughter, the inside jokes, the progress over two years, it\u2019s all part of what makes volunteering so meaningful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWatching them become more confident and learn so much is something you cannot take for granted.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the most heartwarming moments happen outside<\/em> the Playhouse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love when participants ask us to visit them at their baseball or basketball games. Seeing how happy it makes them when Lexi and I show up makes me just as happy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those connections\u2014built on trust, joy, and mutual support\u2014capture exactly what makes our community so special. \u201cGo for it. It\u2019s okay if you do not have experience with somebody with Down Syndrome\u2014there is a spot for everybody who is kind, open-minded, and caring.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At GiGi\u2019s Playhouse, every volunteer brings something unique. All you need is a big heart and a willingness to be part of creating change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Visit our website to find more ways that you can get involved! GiGi’s Playhouse Syracuse | Down Syndrome Achievement Center<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meet Meghan! At GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Syracuse, our volunteers are the heartbeat of everything we do. This month, we\u2019re excited to highlight a dedicated, upbeat, and deeply valued member of our community whose kindness shines in every program he touches. Meet our Volunteer Spotlight: Meghan  Family plays a huge role in her life. She has two brothers, a nephew…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28492,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-141797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/syracuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/syracuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/syracuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/syracuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28492"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/syracuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/syracuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141797\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/syracuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/syracuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/syracuse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}