Volunteer Appreciation – Amy Goes Above & Beyond

During National Volunteer Month in April, we would like to recognize and thank all those who give their time and energy to support GiGi’s Playhouse and our Virtual Playhouse families. As a primarily volunteer run organization, we are truly grateful for the 650 Virtual Playhouse volunteers who donated 7,250 hours in 2022!
Our volunteer Spotlight for April recognizes Amy for going above and beyond helping with programming and administrative work. Amy has donated over 163 volunteer hours over the past 3 months! We are very lucky to have her as a volunteer.
“Hi my name is Amy and I am a senior at Loyola Chicago University studying exercise science. I plan to go into dentistry after graduation. I volunteer as a virtual program assistant. I help the program leader to run the virtual program smoothly.
I really enjoy volunteering for GiGi’s Virtual Playhouse because it gives me the opportunity to meet new people and to interact with them. I love talking to participants before the start of each program and getting to know about their weekend plans, what they are having for dinner, or any exciting plans coming up. Volunteering at GiGi’s allowed me to learn how to modify certain activities so that it is inclusive to all participants. It is so enjoyable to see participants engage, succeed in their work, and their resulting happiness!”

Celebrating Team Jade: Leading the Charge for Acceptance in the Virtual GiGiFIT Challenge
We are so thrilled to highlight our first team to reach $1,000 in our GiGiFIT Acceptance Virtual Movement Challenge this year! This incredible team is using our peer-to-peer fundraising event to raise funds to support the virtual free programming offered to families worldwide. They believe in acceptance for ALL and are changing the way the…

Jordan SPY’s a meaningful experience
“When discussing ways that I could volunteer my time in a meaningful way, one of my coworkers shared her experiences with GiGi’s, and I was immediately inspired to get involved. I thought it was so incredible to be able to engage with folks and their families in all parts of the country! I was looking…

More than words: Joe Pawsey’s success transcends reading
With the help of GiGi’s Virtual Playhouse team, Joe Pawsey was able to regain his confidence and accomplish his dreams! At GiGi’s Playhouse, we strongly believe that education opens doors. Whether it’s at school, the workplace, or the community at large, literacy leads to inclusion. There’s no better illustration of this than a recent success…