Tutoring, volunteering and more!

Carly with her Tutor Sarah - Summer 2017 I have almost reached my year anniversary of being the new (not all that new now!) Program Director at GiGi’s Playhouse Westchester. What an amazing place this is; I am so grateful for all of you! Since that...

having a party? make it a fundraiser!

My husband and I just hosted our annual Oktoberfest party, and for the second year in a row it was a benefit for GiGi's Playhouse Westchester. Turning a regular party into a fundraiser was easy, and we made about $2,000 for the Playhouse! Here's how we did it: 1. We...

21 Reasons Why Life Is Better With You, Henry

21 Reasons Why Life Is Better With You, Henry By Erin Wells 21. When I look over your crib to reach in and get you in the morning, you immediately smile and start our day filled with happiness. 20. You always score free cookies from the bakery at the grocery...

New Site Coordinator Finds Kindred Spirit & So Much More to Love @ GiGi’s Playhouse Westchester

Tuesday Afternoon at the Playhouse From Gabrielle Mason, Site Coordinator since May I was having some trouble getting our sign-in kiosk online so Matthew, 15, and his phenomenal literacy tutor, Lise (pictured below with her great summer literacy guys), went off to start their session. A few minutes later, I popped up to...

A Year of Accomplishments

The “i have a Voice” Gala is a night where those connected to the Playhouse have the opportunity to come together to celebrate the accomplishments of our children, our families, our volunteers, our program leaders, our therapists, and our extended GiGi’s family.  The year has been filled with milestones that...

My Lucky Day-by Kathy Higgins

      I have been working with families who have infants and toddlers with Down syndrome for 26 years. It started when I first came to The Children’s School for Early Development and I was asked to sit in on a group that our social worker Davida Levinson was...

Down syndrome awareness and acceptance-a father’s perspective.

Since Naomi's birth I see the world differently than I used to.  I never put much thought into how people with disabilities were treated prior to my daughter being born.  Every once in a while I might read a story or see a news segment about someone with a disability...

Five Instructional Strategies for Children with Down syndrome

      Children with Down syndrome are capable learners who are excited and eager to learn. They just need to be given the opportunity to excel.  They may learn at a slower pace, but are more than capable of learning. They are strong visual learners. This means that they...

Local Westchester fundraisers mean so much!

  Acceptance, generosity and kindness! Thank you Westchester community! We are so grateful for YOU!  We would like to thank our families who have had birthday parties recently, either for themselves or for their children.  Many asked their guests to donate to GiGi's Playhouse Westchester in lieu of gifts! A...

Leaps and Bounds stole my heart

by Nicole Greenberg, PT, DPT It’s hard to believe that a year ago I was volunteering at the Open House for GiGi’s Playhouse Westchester, introducing myself to the families that I would continue working with over the next 12 months.  Having the opportunity to lead the Leaps & Bounds program...

Guest Blogger: Catherine Graybosch, GiGi’s Playhouse Westchester board president

I recently came across a Tedx talk about how our society looks at and includes people with disabilities. It was eye-opening to see that we went from eliminating them from society by putting them in institutions to creating a “special” culture for them in schools, jobs and so forth.  While...

The Definition of the GiGi’s Playhouse Westchester Volunteer

Volunteer/ noun / vol.un.teer / va-len-tir A person who does work without getting paid to do it. That is a definition of the word volunteer according to Merriam-Webster. It is an accurate definition, but I think it’s missing an important piece...at least when defining our GiGi's Playhouse Westchester volunteers. Volunteerism is a...