A place to belong

There are plenty of colorful visuals to draw you in at the new GiGi’s Playhouse in North Charleston. 

 

Bright circles on the walls, a sparkling disco ball, and a giant sunset decal to name a few. But if you want to experience the full impact this place is having on the Down syndrome community, it’s best to close your eyes and listen.

 

“We’re gonna warm up to the electric slide!” shouts volunteer instructor Holly Jameson as she kicks off a GiGiFIT class on a recent Wednesday morning.  

 

As music pumps from speakers, there are claps from exuberant volunteers, a chorus of encouraging words, and high-fives among the participants. 

 

“You got it!” exclaims Jameson. “Keep it up!”

 

And rising above the cacophony of sounds is laughter – the purest and truest sign this new program is doing exactly what it is intended to do. Nathan, one of several young adults in the class, giggles heartily as he shakes his backside playfully to the music. 

For Program and Volunteer Coordinator Lynze Sike, it’s all part of the magic that flows at GiGi’s Playhouse, a place she helped launch here last May after visiting a GiGi’s in North Carolina several years ago.

 

“Magic – it literally was just like that,” Sike recalled. “The 10 seconds that I was in there changed my life and I knew instantly we had to have it here.”

 

Sike’s 5-year-old daughter, Carly, has Down syndrome, so she knows how important programs like those offered by GiGi’s Playhouse are to the communities they serve. 

 

“I knew the sooner we had it (in Charleston), the longer we would have it!”

 

Sike and a team of other individuals passionate about the cause worked for close to four years to make the site a reality in the Lowcountry. They officially celebrated their grand opening last May at the new 1213 Remount Road location. It is one of more than 60 GiGi’s Playhouses worldwide – all dedicated to changing lives and providing hope through the delivery of free educational, therapeutic, and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community – using a replicable playhouse model. Anyone with a disability is welcome.

 

Daniel Island resident Peggy Senesac, who has a nephew with Down syndrome, is all in. She has been volunteering at the new GiGi’s Playhouse for several months.

 

“We were strangers,” she said of their initial gatherings. “We all walked in here and knew nothing. And it’s become a family. It’s a beautiful thing.”

 

And Senesac is eager to spread the word.

 

“I just want everybody to feel like they have a place,” she added. “And GiGi’s is that place!”

 

Senesac helped recruit fellow Daniel Island resident Catherine Linden to the volunteer team several weeks ago. 

 

“It’s just such a great way to get involved in the community and give back,” Linden said. “It’s also so rewarding to work with these kids!”

 

Their work – and enthusiasm – is having an impact. For Fiona Vogel and her adult son, Paul, it’s been a game-changing experience. Paul has benefited from the socialization and independence the programs offer. 

 

“This is really meaningful, especially for those kids who age out of school,” Vogel noted. “They’re sort of like, ‘What do I do now that I’m an adult?’ Once you leave school, you’re left to hang out to dry. It’s very limited. So this has been great for Paul. He’s seeing what he is capable of doing.”

 

Daniel Island parent Linda Cassol agrees. Her son, Matt, who attended Bishop England High School, has been participating in the programs as well. 

 

“It lets them know there are more people out there that are like them,” she said. “And they’re not feeling so isolated.”

 

Vogel and Cassol have enjoyed the opportunity to interact with other parents of kids and adults with Down syndrome or other disabilities. 

 

“That’s where you find the best resources!” added Cassol.

 

The programs and activities at GiGi’s are all very intentional, according to site manager Breana Crenshaw, and are created using a research-based curriculum.

 

“My mission statement is just to have a place where everybody is welcome, that they feel included,” Crenshaw said. “I want them to feel like they are leaders of their own path. That they can make things happen for themselves, and that goes for every single participant.”

 

Another benefit is that the entire family can be a part of the fun.

 

“I look at them as though we’re all one family,” Crenshaw continued. “We’re a community, together. So siblings are included in everything we do. This playhouse isn’t just for the person with the disability. It’s literally for the whole family.”

 

The schedule currently features fitness programs, kitchen classes, open playtime, Playhouse Pals for kids ages 5-8, Kids Club for ages 8-12, Language Music N’ Our Peeps for ages prenatal to 36 months, a Teen Tastic program, social events, and more.

 

In the future, they hope to add music, dance, speech and art sessions, as well as math tutoring. 

 

“This playhouse is completely funded through grants, donations, and in-kind donations,” Crenshaw said. “That’s the only way we’re able to operate. And also we’re 99 percent volunteer-led. I’m the only paid position – that’s why we’re able to offer all of these free services. We don’t ask anyone to pay, and we serve all ages, from prenatal diagnosis (and up).”

 

And once participants get in the door, the GiGi’s team promises plenty of purposeful fun.

 

“Look at me,” says a volunteer at the recent fitness class. “Can you do what I’m doing?”

 

A young man named Noah follows, confidently lifting his leg into the air. Next to him, Nathan holds a large ball in his hands and turns it like the steering wheel of a car. A smile breaks out across his face and soon his giggles are once again echoing across the room. 

 

“I literally still get goosebumps,” Sike added after the class. “And I still take that step back just to observe and watch the magic happen. Because the magic is here.”

 

For more information about GiGi’s Playhouse or ways to offer support, visit gigisplay house.org/charleston.