Be Generous. Be Accepting. Be Kind.

I know I have already written about GiGi's Playhouse, but I care way too much about Down syndrome awareness not to post about World Down Syndrome Day coming up on the 21st!

This blog will focus on ways to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day, GiGi's Generation G pledge, how to challenge yourself to be more accepting of this community, and how to get involved with GiGi's Playhouse.

World Down Syndrome Day is Sunday, March 21st!

It's almost one of my favorite days of the year! I love this day because we get to celebrate the incredible capabilities and endless love our friends with Down syndrome have to offer. It is a day dedicated to embracing individuals with Down syndrome and celebrating the happiness, love and joy they bring to the world. These amazing people and their beautiful spirit that has the ability to put a smile on anyone's face the second they walk through the door should be celebrated not only on the 21st of March, but every day.

I am forever grateful for all of the friends I have made through my years of working with individuals with disabilities. It's these people who have shaped me into the person I am today, and who inspire me to be a kind, generous, accepting and inclusive human being.

So, how can you celebrate World Down Syndrome Day?

Wear crazy socks! Participate in the #LotsOfSocks campaign to raise awareness of Down syndrome. Flaunt your craziest pair of socks and get your friends, classmates, family, and colleagues to join you!

Wear blue and yellow! Blue and yellow are the official colors for Down syndrome awareness. Spread awareness by wearing blue and yellow bracelets, t-shirts, ribbons, socks, hats, etc. this Sunday!

Sign up to be a volunteer at GiGi's Playhouse! GiGi's Playhouse is a Down syndrome achievement center that offers free programs to individuals with Down syndrome to help them reach their highest potential in all aspects of life. There are playhouses all over the country, and they could always use more help, so sign up to volunteer today!

Random Acts of Kindness! Make an effort to practice random acts of kindness all day to celebrate the importance of being kind and loving individuals. This could be smiling to a stranger, buying the person behind you a coffee, complimenting a friend, etc.! Get creative and share the beauty of kindness.

Share photos and stories on social media! Spread acceptance and awareness through your social media pages. This could be educating your followers about Down syndrome, sharing stories of the capabilities and amazing qualities of individuals with Down syndrome, or sharing how others can get involved with this community.

FaceTime a friend with Down syndrome and tell them how much you love them! If you know someone with Down syndrome, give them a call and let them know how much you care about them. Let them know how grateful you are to be their friend, how they have changed your life, share a few jokes - and maybe (definitely) have a dance party.

Take the Generation G pledge! Make it your mission to be generous, accepting and kind.

GiGi's Generation G pledge

While GiGi's provides purposeful and meaningful opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome, these individuals need continuous love, support and acceptance from the entire community outside the playhouse. The progress GiGi's has created for this community is incredible, but in order for lasting acceptance and true success for these individuals, our society must strive to make a conscious effort to be better every day - and that is what Generation G is all about.

Generation G challenges us to Be Generous. Be Accepting. Be Kind.

By taking the pledge, you are promising to act with generosity and acceptance every day to those around you. Draw a heart on your hand, snap a selfie and tag #gigisplayhouse to take the pledge, then challenge your friends to do the same! GiGi's goal is to have over one million pledges. Be a part of the movement today!

Challenge Yourself

Step out of your comfort zone and make a conscious effort to benefit the lives of individuals with disabilities. If this is a new experience for you, don't be scared, this community is filled with welcoming, loving and inspiring individuals that have so much love to share.

Here are some ways to challenge yourself:

Sit with a new friend at lunch (when we actually have lunch with other people again...) In high school, my friends and I would always sit with our friends from P.E. Partners. This inclusive environment was extremely beneficial because it was fun, it helped my friends create relationships with individuals with disabilities and become more aware of different types of disabilities, and it created a safe space where our friends could improve their social skills, feel accepted and gain confidence.

Give an individual with a disability an employment opportunity. Individuals with disabilities are extremely capable and should not be turned away from employment because of their diagnosis. Employment opportunities provide valuable experience for these individuals to prove to themselves that they are more than capable, improve their skills, meet new people, and be accepted and embraced by the community. My cousin Danielle has a few jobs at a variety of places, and man are they grateful to have her! She is organized, personable, hard-working, motivated, and a joy to be around.

Smile and say hi to someone new. I know the masks make it hard to do this, but we can still smile with our eyes and give out some nice waves! Being friendly is fun, and it just makes life so much more joyful. I think about when I go to Trader Joes in the morning and how the employees really have the ability to brighten my day with their friendliness, and they inspire me to act with kindness for the rest of the day. (It's literally my favorite part of the day and why I decide to go grocery shopping in the morning lol). So strive to be like Trader Joes employees and to make at least one person smile a day!

Volunteer. GiGi's Playhouse is able to transform family's lives because of the incredible volunteers that pour their heart and soul into GiGi's mission. Volunteer for one of GiGi's various programs, become a math or literacy tutor, take on an administrative role, or help plan events to help GiGi's achieve its vision of individuals with Down syndrome being accepted and embraced in their families, schools and community. Join the fun and learn more about becoming a volunteer here!

Visit gigisplayhouse.com to learn more about how to spread acceptance, awareness and provide support to individuals with Down syndrome.

Individuals with Down syndrome deserve to be celebrated every day of the year, but make sure to show some extra love on March 21st to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day!

Link to blog: https://www.thehelpingheel.com/post/be-generous-be-accepting-be-kind