Looking back and looking forward!

“February 14th 2014, 9:07PM

Hi Everyone,

Even if I have not met you all yet in person, I wanted to reach out to you about this amazing Down Syndrome Playhouse. It’s called GiGi’s playhouse; www.gigisplayhouse.org. I will attach information to this email. I am reaching out to you all to see what everyone thinks of this. My husband and I are talking to the National GiGi’s
Playhouse to start a branch here around White Plains, which would be great access for people in Westchester, Rockland County and lower Connecticut. The thing is this would be a parents’ initiative to set up. We need other parents to join us who would be interested
and set this up.
We have an almost 3 year old son with DS, Oliver. Thinking about him and his future, I want him to have a great group of friends with DS that he meets at his playhouse and a place just for kids with DS.
Also they started a university for adults which is the greatest thing ever.
Anyway, just reaching out to you, we want to reach out to all DS support groups around here to get families enthusiastic about this fantastic playhouse!! Please let me know if you think this is something you would be interested in, feel free to give me a call.
Attached is the brochure with all the information.
Warm regards,

Ruth Dieleman-Levine”

Our Playhouse started with this one email!!!  Moms and dads joined in and we created our “Golden Team”, as I would call it, of passionate family members, therapists and volunteers. It was a dream for us and now it is a thriving reality! The passion and love that our Playhouse is built with has been an amazing experience and journey for me, as the founding President.

As my Presidency term ends April 1, 2016, looking back puts a smile on my face.  We have fought battles and conquered all kinds of barriers to open our Playhouse. All the while we were teaching and educating people on the subject of Down syndrome and spreading positive awareness of Down syndrome in our communities. I will miss my “Golden Team” but know that the Playhouse is in very good hands with a board that is passionate and in it for the long run.  I will also miss our site coordinator as well and all the volunteers who warm my heart each time I meet them.

Thank you to everyone who was part of the journey so far and for being a passionate team player! Nothing would have been achieved without any of you so from the bottom of my heart…
Thank you and keep up the passion and positive drive for your kids, our Playhouse families and for our communities! I will see you at the Playhouse while we enjoy the programs with our son, who is now 5 years old! GiGi’s Playhouse-Westchester: where everyone rocks their extra chromosome and where we can all be part of our new Generation G!

• Be accepting
• Be Generous
• Be kind
• See no difference
• Have someone’s back
• Challenge yourself.

Warm regards,
Ruth Dieleman-Levine