Now before we meet our May Good Egg, here's what's new:

LAST MONTH'S EGGING!

These items will help the kids with their culinary arts program, Gigi's Kitchen! You can read more below - they are our featured May Good Egg!

Unfortunately, he got too focused on the upcoming game and forgot to water the flowers. The Eggs were disappointed in Benedict because they planned on cutting some of the flowers to make a bouquet for Ms. Poach. Benedict once again learned his lesson and took it upon himself to be more responsible and to make things right. Ms. Poach got her bouquet of flowers from the Eggs and new flowers were planted in the garden patch at school. The Eggs played well in the championship game and, once again, Coach Flo reminded them about the importance of teamwork and everybody being responsible for their positions. After the game, Benedict thanked Coach Flo for the valuable lesson on responsibility and gave her a surprise gift!

Nancy believe that her life, as she knew it, was over. She soon came to realize that GiGi was more like her other kids than she was different. The debilitating emotions that she initially experienced, though, soon became a relentless reminder that she needed to find a way to impact the lives of others in an immediate and progressive way. With Nancy’s promise, perseverance and the immense support of the community, the first GiGi’s Playhouse was opened in 2003, as a multicultural activity and resource center for individuals with Down syndrome and their families, in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Through it’s first 20 years, GiGi’s Playhouse has grown into a network of over 57 playhouses throughout the United States and Mexico, and it offers over 30 different therapeutic, educational and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome of all ages, their families and the community. The organization is 99% volunteer-run, and all programs are 100% free to families. From pre-natal diagnosis through career skills GiGi’s Playhouse makes a lifetime commitment to families. With over 200,000 free program participation hours annually, we help participants thrive through building educational, developmental, fitness, fine and gross motor, social-emotional and speech and language skills.

I was scrolling through social media one night and stumbled across a picture of a beautiful little girl with almond shaped eyes. Her picture brought me to the GiGi’s Playhouse website where I learned about all of the different programs and therapies available to my son. Then I saw the little button at the top of the page that said “How to Open a GiGi’s Playhouse Near You.” It took two years but through working alongside an incredible group of determined volunteers, I was a part of the opening of the first GiGi’s Playhouse in Wisconsin. We had just celebrated our one year anniversary when we learned my husband's employer wanted to relocate us back to our home state of Michigan. I was blessed to meet yet another incredible group of determined families who wanted to open a GiGi’s Playhouse here in the Detroit area. Two years after that first meeting, we opened the doors of GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit.

GiGi’s Playhouse offers FREE literacy tutoring to children and adults with Down syndrome. I have always thought it was astonishing that a student with Down syndrome could begin Kindergarten not just being able to read - but he can be the best reader in the class - all because of the one-on-one tutoring offered through GiGi’s.

He had been coming to the Playhouse for one-on-one tutoring in math weekly for several months. When he was given his first grade general education math assessment - he ROCKED it!! His teacher and his parents were amazed. His mother told me that even she didn’t know he could do that well!

It’s stories like his that begin to break down barriers. The more we can share with the community what individuals with Down syndrome are capable of - the more doors open up for them!