Posts Tagged ‘Down syndrome’
Super Siblings
On Wednesday, April 10th, we will celebrate National Sibling Day. Often, brothers and sisters of those with Down syndrome are forgotten and not recognized for being SUPER! However, siblings of individuals with Down syndrome tend to be compassionate, understanding, accepting, and wonderful people who go above and beyond for their sibling, although we know it…
Read MoreA Volunteer’s Determination, Love, and Commitment
Carol Altomare, our incredible GiGi’s Kitchen Program Leader, always goes above and beyond. During the dark days of the Pandemic, Carol and her daughter, Christine, embarked on realizing our dream – creating a GiGi’s Kitchen Cookbook. The pair spent the next three years organizing, planning, and photographing the group’s favorite recipes. Carol was motivated by…
Read MoreGiGi’s, Friends, Connect, and Family
Each month, we host a family group on the first Saturday at 10:00 am. All families are welcome, but we typically welcome families with children under the age of 6. The program is facilitated by two experienced program leaders who encourage discussions, sharing of experiences, and networking while high school or middle school volunteers play…
Read MoreIntroducing – Westchester’s Generation G Youth Board
We love our volunteers! Earlier this year, a sibling of one of our participants approached us and asked if she could start a Youth Board at our Playhouse. Mira was very passionate and quickly recruited her friends to join her. We reached out to other local High Schools and now have 8 members from Hastings…
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight – Kelly
“Volunteering is an act of heroism on a grand scale. And it matters profoundly. It does more than help people beat the odds; it changes the odds.” – William J. Clinton GiGi’s Playhouse is 99% volunteer-led. As an organization, we are extremely proud of this. We are beyond grateful for our amazing volunteers’ dedication, motivation, enthusiasm,…
Read MoreInspirational Molly, Self-Advocate, Silences the Room at the Gala.
Our Annual ‘i have a Voice’ Gala always invites a self-advocate to speak, to tell their story and what GiGi’s Playhouse means to them. This year, we were excited to welcome Molly to the podium. Molly did a great job overcoming her nerves to deliver a tear-jerker of a speech. Her reward was hugs from…
Read More#MyDSStory – Sibling Power!
During Down Syndrome Acceptance Month, we asked our families and community to share stories as part of a #myDSstory campaign. This submission is from an amazing sibling who is constantly changing the way the world views Down Syndrome! “My sister, Ali, who is fourteen months younger than me, is the most hard-working, resilient, and compassionate…
Read MoreVolunteer Appreciation 2022
GiGi’s Playhouse Westchester loves our Volunteers! We cannot do what we do without the enthusiasm, dedication, generosity, and motivation of our outstanding volunteer team. Since 2021, we have welcomed 168 new volunteer applications to our Playhouse and we have a total of 112 active volunteers, many of who have been with us for some time.…
Read More2021 In Review
As 2021 ends, we look back at the challenges, successes, and accomplishments of this year! 2021 was another tough year, still dealing with the fluid nature of the Pandemic. Our planning consisted of many questions that we did not know the answers to. Can we reopen yet? Is it safe to welcome families back? How do we keep…
Read MoreVolunteer Appreciation Month
Volunteer Appreciation Month As we wrap up our Volunteer Appreciation Month, we want to highlight even more volunteers that have stood out this month. April may be the month that we show our appreciation, but we never stop being thankful for our dedicated, generous, motivated, enthusiastic volunteer team that grows each month! Volunteer Facts: We…
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