Girls Club • 2020 Annual Report

The Lower Eastside Girls Club

Annual Report 2020

Table of Conte 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 19 20 22 23 24 2

A Note from Our Co-Executive Directors 2020 Highlights A Note from Our Board of Directors New Leadership, New Day Our History COVID-19 Response Quotes from Our Families Center for Wellbeing & Happiness 2020 Programing Center for Community STEM Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds GALA: Girls as Activists, Leaders & Advocates

ents We Mean Business Literary & Academic Support Alphabet City Art School Digital Media & Music Technology A Snapshot of 3 Girls New Girl City: Agents of Change Staff FY20 Financial Snapshot Funders Our Community Board of Directors Girls Club Partners

25 25 26 27 28 31 34 36 37 38 39 40 3

innovative and

responsive

non-profit in

the entire city.�

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Gale Brewer, Manhattan Borough President Center for Wellbeing & Happiness press conference held on October 9, 2020.

“The Girls Club is the most

For nearly 25 years, The Lower Eastside Girls Club (LESGC) of New York City has connected girls and gender non-conforming youth to healthy and successful futures. We are an independent, community-based organization, allied in the struggle for racial, gender, and climate justice. We offer free, year-round, innovative programming in our 35,000 ft2 state-of-the-art facility.

The Girls Club cultivates “Joy. Power. Possibility,� providing youth with the tools, knowledge, experience, and support they need to heal, thrive, and radically imagine their future, the future of their community, and the world beyond.

In 2020, we have expanded our core mission and service population with our new Center for Wellbeing and Happiness.

Joy. Power.

Possibility.

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A Note from Our Co-Executive Directors We are humbled and honored to lead the Girls Club during this critical time and to further the legacy of nearly 25 years of advocacy and activism. In the era of COVID-19 and heightened racial crises, our work to develop leaders and promote community selfreliance remains central to everything we do. We have and will continue to act as first responders and offer a critical safety net for our girls, families, and community. Moreover, we will work tirelessly to bring dynamic, responsive, and innovative solutions rooted in racial, gender, wellness, and opportunity equity.

We are deeply grateful to YOU — our supporters and champions —for believing in our mission and our collective future. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

In solidarity,

Ebonie Simpson & Jenny Dembrow Girls Club Co-Executive Directors

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2020 Highlights 260

75

Enrolled in 2020 programs

New Girl City participants from across the five boroughs

60 Paid summer internships for teens

50

1,500

Computers distributed

Handmade masks distributed

for remote learning

50,000+ Meals distributed to the community since March 2020

400-800

1,800

Fresh food and produce boxes

Wellness Kits distributed

distributed weekly

to Girls Club families

2,500 Wholesome “grab-n-go� daily lunches provided

10/9

2

Launched the virtual hub for our

New Co-Executive Directors,

Center for Wellbeing & Happiness

Jenny Dembrow & Ebonie Simpson

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A Note from Our Board of Directors 8

The Board of Directors is proud to introduce our new Co-Executive Directors Jenny Dembrow and Ebonie Simpson, who were appointed in May of this year, following the retirement of Co-Founder Dr. Lyn Pentecost.

Jenny and Ebonie exemplify our values of inclusion, equity and anti-racism. These values are not just words; they are guideposts for the way we shape our staff and Board, connect with Girls Club members, and engage with the broader community.

Our new Co-EDs are leaders for the future and compassionate change agents who will ensure that the Girls Club continues its work of advancing racial and social equity. They assumed their roles during the height of the pandemic and, in partnership with the incredible Girls Club staff, pivoted to virtual engagement and food distribution. Amidst these challenges they successfully launched the Center for Wellbeing and Happiness, which expands the mission and vision of the Girls Club.

The Board of Directors thanks you for your commitment.

The transformative impact of your investment in our community is felt throughout New York City and beyond.

Sincerely, The Lower Eastside Girls Club Board of Directors

In May 2020, Lower Eastside Girls Club’s Executive Director and Co-Founder, Dr. Lyn Pentecost, retired after 24 years of exemplary service. Associate Executive Director, Jenny Dembrow, and Managing Director, Ebonie Simpson, were named Co-Executive Directors.

Ebonie Simpson came to the Girls Club in 2010 as a college intern, and later volunteered as a mentor and Junior Board Member. She is a graduate of Duke University and recipient of the University Distinguished Leadership and Service Award. She was a 2012–2013 NYC Urban Fellow and Associate Director at the Mayor’s Office. In 2018, Simpson created Girls Club’s city-wide civic leadership initiative, New Girl City: Agents of Change NYC and spearheaded our newest expansion initiative, the Center for Wellbeing and Happiness.

Jenny Dembrow is a native New Yorker and has lived on the Lower East Side for nearly 30 years. She has contributed to the organization’s growth through her deep and abiding commitment to the girls and their families. As Co-Executive Director, Jenny will honor the founding vision, while leading the organization into the future.

She is the heart and soul of the Girls Club.

Jenny has been a central fixture at the Girls Club since its founding, seeing the organization through growth, expansion and success, and developing personal connections with every single member who has walked through the doors.

New Leadership, New Day 9

Girls Club is The House That Women Built

Started our first Girls Club

2003

Worldwide partnership,

Launched a capital

with Stsebetik Bolom,

campaign to construct our

in Chiapas, Mexico

own 35,000 ft2 building Opened our first art gallery, digital lab, and podcasting studio

1996 In a neighborhood with

Marched against the Iraq War

three Boys Clubs, the

in NYC and DC and visited

Girls Club launched with a

the Coalition of Immokalee

community celebration at

We established the Girls

Theater for the New City

Congress, a collective of

Farm Workers in Florida

community organizations

1998

in the Lower East Side

Rented our first HQ in the back of a 99-cent store on Avenue D. Programs soon expanded to over

2010

two dozen locations

Broke ground for our Center

2000

Rented a commercial

for Community on Avenue D

kitchen and launched

Joined the Million Mom

our first entrepreneurial

Launched the QuinceaĂąera

March for Gun Control

venture: Sweet Things

Mentoring program which

in Washington D.C.

Baking Company

provided college scholarships

2002

2013

Started our first Farmers

Our state-of-the art facility

Market on Avenue D: future

opens. We are awarded New

site of the Girls Club Center

York state funds for energy

for Community building

efficiency and green roofs

In 1996, the mothers of the Lower East Side looked at our young girls and realized that there wasn’t a place to nurture their power. So we got to work. We hustled and created programs in schools, community rooms, basements, and just about any donated space we could get our hands on. By always keeping the girls and our community at the forefront of our vision, we grew from a small volunteer-led organization to one with global reach and impact.

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2014

2019

Participated in the People’s

Acquired an adjacent

Climate March and the

5,000 ft2 for the Center for

Bride’s March against

Wellbeing and Happiness

domestic violence

2018

Girls Club choir sang with

Launched New Girl City:

Joan Baez for the Standing

Agents of Change, a city-

with Ferguson concert

wide civic engagement and leadership initiative Became an election polling site

2016 Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Michelle Obama visited the

2020

Girls Club for an intimate

Provided critical COVID-19

lunch and conversation

Relief to our community,

with members

distributed over 40,000

visits the Girls Club

meals to LES Residents, and provided in-person and virtual programming

2017 Joined millions of girls and women at the Women’s March in Washington D.C. Partnered with Colin

WGRL partners with Hot97

Kaepernick and the Know

and The Nessa Show for a

Your Rights Camp, where

weekly internship program

our members serve as youth ambassadors

Launched our Center for

2019

Wellbeing and Happiness

Stacey Abrams hosted

Welcomed in new Executive

New York’s Fair Fight

Leadership with Ebonie

event at the Girls Club

Simpson and Jenny Dembrow

Our History

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COVID-19 Response Our COVID-19 response includes: Virtual Girls Club Spring 2020: Providing safe online social spaces for our members to connect and learn.

Our successful virtual programming on Zoom offered a full schedule of classes 5 days a week, mid-March–June 2020.

Community Engagement: Engaging families with quarterly Town-Halls and daily check-ins from staff, assessing the needs of each and every family.

Technology & Hardware: Partnering with Spectrum to distribute 50 laptops and iPads to our members for remote learning to create a virtual learning community that is engaging, supportive and inspiring.

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated low-income minority communities throughout New York City — and the Lower East Side is no exception. Without pause, the Girls Club has been providing invaluable support to families in crisis.

thousand homemade masks (from our Design Studio), books, art supplies, sewing machines, cleaning supplies, and short-term cash infusions for non-food necessities.

We are a parallel family, a lifeline, a place

Programming: Led hybrid in-person and

where girls grow physically, mentally

virtual programming in Summer and Fall

and emotionally, and our community

2020 — notably one of the only youth

needs us now, more than ever. We are

organizations to do so in-person.

responding to the immediate needs of our members and their families by providing community care, resources, and a safe space for girls. Our programs continue to develop and change in

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COVID-19 Supplies: Handing out over a

Safety: Upgraded our facility to comply with COVID-19 safety measures.

Established a robust COVID-19 policy for staff and external partners that includes bi-weekly

real-time in response to COVID-19, and

testing requirements, daily symptom and

the evolving needs of our community.

temperature checks for all staff and visitors.

Food Distribution The health of our members, their families and our community is central to our mission. Food insecurity has long been a challenge on the Lower East Side and in recent months we have been witnessing an extreme need. We mobilized to provide over 50,000 meals (between 400–600, 15–20lb boxes per week) to feed our community. We received support from World Central Kitchen, Food Bank NY, Baldor, Support + Feed, Impossible Foods, and other food industry partners.

Local organic produce has been sourced from our neighborhood 6th Street Community Center CSA, Breezy Hill Orchards, and Smallhold Mushroom Farm.

Community Pantry

Daily Healthy Lunches

Weekly Wellness Kits

We have provided fresh

Throughout the Summer

Through our COVID-19

produce and pantry staples

and Fall we have provided

Emergency Response

serving 50,000 LES residents

“grab-and-go” meals every

Fund we have provided

since March. This effort

weekday (2,500 to date).

weekly Wellness Kits to

will continue through the

Our boxed lunches are

our members and their

fiscal year and will include a

fresh and loaded with fruit,

families since March 20th.

Turkey & Thanksgiving Meal

whole-grains and veggies.

Giveaway in November, and a special Holiday Giveaway for our families in December.

Acknowledgments A huge and heartfelt thank you to our in-kind donors who have supported our weekly giveaways and back to school events throughout these immensely difficult times.

Aminatou Sow: Big Friendship: How

Kate Spade New York

Sprayground

We Keep Each Other Close Books

Know Your Rights Camp

Support + Feed

Baldor

LaForce on behalf of SheaMoisture

This is My Spacesuit

Chobani

Loisa

Technico

Citizens of Humanity

LOLA Tampons (via generous donor)

World Central Kitchen

Cleo Wade: Heart Talk, The Journal

Lifeway Foods Inc.

Dig Inn

Meena Harris: Kamala

DK Publishing

and Maya’s Big Idea

Food Bank for New York City

Penguin Random House

good! Snacks

The Pizza Cupcake

Impossible Foods

Spectrum

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COVID-19 Quotes “I wanted to extend my gratitude to you and the rest of the staff in this very difficult time. You girls are a BEACON OF HOPE, LIGHT and FAITH. Don’t think that for a second your efforts are going unnoticed. I am so grateful for the chef that prepared the food, all the way to the person who passed me the box” Unique

“As I received the laptop and the extra items I felt my heart get so heavy and eyes rapidly filling with tears. I’m forever grateful. Thank you and your team for all you do in this time of great need” Unique, Middle School Member’s Mom

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From Our Families “I’m hanging in there and struggling like everyone and following every and all precautionary measures to stay safe. I cannot thank The Lower East Side Girls Club enough and all their staff members.

Things would have definitely been a lot harder for me, especially being a single parent. I truly believe that the Girls Club has been a big blessing to all the girls and their families. I am so thankful and grateful, but not surprised. You guys always have treated my daughter and I like family and for that I will be there if and whenever you need me.

Thank you LESGC for caring for us.”

Ray, High School Member’s Father

“Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this program. I’ve been hoping since I was five years old to come and now I am here and I am very excited.”

Lanese, Age 11 (new member)

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Center for Wellbeing & Happiness The mission of the Center for Wellbeing and Happiness (CWBH) is to strategically address the wellbeing and health disparities faced by our community, utilizing intentional, trauma-informed, holistic programming rooted in community-centered resilience, prevention, recovery and self-reliance. The CWBH will serve as a wellness hub providing the space and opportunity for local organizations, expert practitioners, health-based city agencies and institutions, and our talented and resourced-filled community members, to connect, collaborate and serve. Together we will create programming that addresses the totality of our community’s wellbeing needs.

Our Core Values Provide space, tools

Create joy,

Foster community-

Promote wellbeing

and resources for

connection,

centered care

practices that directly

skills and talents to

and harness the

which promotes

sustain, support

flourish, at no cost to

collective power of

healing, resilience

and revitalize our

community members.

our community.

and prevention.

community.

The Girls Club is experienced, qualified, and

meditation, nutrition and culinary education,

primed to launch our Center for Wellbeing and

and access to counseling and family and

Happiness. By raising up the young women of

maternity support services including

the Lower East Side, we have in turn embraced,

parenting support groups and classes,

engaged and empowered their families —

workforce development and job training.

mothers, fathers, siblings, and grandparents.

The health and wellness of our members has

The Center will be staffed by experienced

always been a focal point of our mission and

Girls Club staff, and serve as the hub

we understand that the wellbeing of our girls

for partnerships with experts including:

is intimately connected to the wellbeing of

Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, New

her family, her community, and her world.

York University, Columbia University School of Social Work, National Council

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CWBH will act as both a service provider

for Behavioral Health, NYC Health +

and a hub for robust program partnerships

Hospitals, and other organizations that

with experts and practitioners in the fields

have expertise in the health disparities

of mental, emotional, social, economic,

particular to the Lower East Side. Our Center

environmental and educational wellness.

is timely, relevant and essential in tackling

It will include intergenerational classes

the concurrent public health, economic,

in yoga, movement and mindfulness,

and racial equity crises facing our city.

WELLBEING LOUNGE

CWBH Virtual Hub In Fall 2020, we launched the CWBH Virtual Hub to address the urgent challenges that COVID-19 presents to our community. The Hub provides virtual programming that centers the mental and emotional wellbeing of our community in crisis and offers resources for guidance and support. Our free, in-person programming will start in Fall 2021.

The Girls Club launched the CWBH with a kick-off weekend in October 2020, honoring World Mental Health Day and International Day of the Girl.

Our October 9th Press Conference featured Gale Brewer,

engineering firm that also provided pro-bono design

Borough President of the New York City borough of

support. Special thanks to our partners who led

Manhattan; Carlina Rivera, Councilwoman for New

our Healthy Bodies & Healthy Minds workshops

York City Council District 2; Harvey Epstein, New

series featuring: Rosario Dawson, Latham Thomas,

York State Assembly Member; Brad Hoylman, New

Jameela Jamil, Donna D’Cruz, Jamia Wilson, Paola

York State Senator; Helen Rosenthal, New York City

Mendoza and Abby Sher, as well our corporate

Council Member; Vanessa Gibson, Bronx Council

partners Maybelline, Nike, and Impossible Foods.

Member; Danei Cesario and Grete Grubelich of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), an architecture

The Center for Wellbeing & Happiness is generously

firm providing pro-bono design for the CWBH; and

supported by the Kate Spade New York Foundation.

Helen Searle and Kelsey Habla of Arup, global sound

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Girls Club Programming 2020 18

The Lower Eastside Girls Club has provided a year of innovative educational programming that supported our girls and their families through these tumultuous and trying times.

In a year when the education and needs of our young population have been sidelined, the Girls Club has delivered high quality programming in the Arts, Digital Media, STEM, Entrepreneurial and Leadership training, Culinary Education and Wellness.

We ran a full menu of virtual programs throughout the lockdown in the Spring and made a successful and safe transition to in-person programming this summer.

Our free 5-week summer camp was one of the few in-person programs open in the city! For Fall 2020, we offered a hybrid of in-person and virtual classes, and kicked it off with a special back-toschool giveaway with Colin Kaepernick and the Know Your Rights Camp.

Here is an overview of this pathbreaking year, documenting our relentless commitment to bringing Joy, Power and Possibility to our girls when they need it the most.

Our Guiding Programmatic Goals Health and Wellness Members value their health, practice self-care, and demonstrate habits for lifelong health.

Passion and Joy Members thrive as they discover and pursue their creative passions, take risks, collaborate, communicate their ideas, and fulfill their potential.

Meaningful Access to Resources Members are connected with the resources and social support they need to thrive.

Social Connectedness Members experience solidarity, build supportive peer groups, bond with staff and mentors.

Empowerment Members exhibit non-cognitive skills, including confidence, purpose, perseverance, and a solid sense of self.

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Center for Community

The Lower Eastside Girls Club Center for

Our STEM Labs are the epicenter of all

Community, New York City’s first Girls Club

technology-related programs and equipment.

facility, is located on Avenue D between East

The Labs are home to our Maker Shop, a

7th and 8th Streets in Manhattan. Girls and

site for hands-on engineering projects;

gender non-conforming youth enter a new

and The East Village Planetarium, a 64-

world filled with joy, power and possibility.

seat, 30 ft dome that teaches earth and sky science, astro-visualization, and digital

Our state-of-the art community center offers

design to schools and small group classes.

a safe haven with programs in the arts, sciences, leadership, entrepreneurship,

Our Environmental Education Lab opens

and wellness. Programs are offered at no

onto a green roof where our members

cost. Our Center is a model for educators

grow herbs and produce to be used

from across the globe who visit, learn from,

in our culinary education center.

and replicate our unique program design and approach to community engagement.

The Digital Media Lab offers computer stations for classes in graphic design, web

Baker Hall, a multipurpose space for

design, digital photography, animation,

health and wellness activities, offers

digital storytelling and documentary film.

dance, movement, yoga, meditation, stress reduction programs, and more. This

The Center for Media and Social Justice offers

expansive space is also where we host

a collaborative space for workshops, film

our community programming and events

screenings, and photography classes to meet.

in addition to serving as a polling site.

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The Sound Studio is the home of the WGRL:

The Voice Identity Power conference

Where Girl Radio Lives podcast studio, Avenue

and training room shares space with

D-Js, audio engineering, and citizen journalism

the Counseling, Career and Leadership

classes including The Afternoon Show.

Center, where girls can meet with nurse educators, social workers, counselors,

Alphabet City Art School houses large

and college advisors. Ongoing mentoring,

light-filled art studios used for painting,

academic support, financial literacy,

drawing, screen-printing, comics and other

leadership development, and civic

creative classes. The Art + Community

engagement programs take place here.

Gallery serves as a venue for a wide range of rotating art exhibitions.

Our Culinary Education Center is where we offer job training and opportunities for

Our Design Studio for Material Arts is home

teenage girls and neighborhood women.

to our entrepreneurial training, sewing,

The kitchen also serves as a classroom for

and fashion design classes where sewing

Culinary, Baking and Nutritional Education

and pattern-making skills are taught. In

classes, while meeting in-house food

addition, girls learn the art of quilting,

service needs, our grab-n-go meals, and

natural dyeing techniques, screen-printing,

Wellness Kits throughout the pandemic.

and more. Our “We Mean Business” curriculum is taught in these classes. Girl-

A planted courtyard with an outdoor

made items are available for purchase in

fountain, designed by artist Kiki Smith,

our store: La Tiendita at the Essex Market.

and café tables provides a welcome oasis for outdoor, socially distanced dining.

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STEM In February 2020, Girls Club members traveled to Mexico City and Chiapas, Mexico for a collaborative ecological project with our Girls Club Worldwide partner, Stsebetik Bolom. This year, we explored the birds and forests of highland Chiapas with support from the US Forest Service.

In Fall 2020, the Girls Club successfully hosted our 2nd annual NASA Space Apps Challenge hackathon. Space Apps allows girls to work in teams alongside professional women to solve real world problems. In preparation for the global Space Apps hackathon, we ran a Space Boot Camp, which incorporated a robust mentorship component. Both virtual events were a great success. Spectrum provided every participant with their own laptop to keep and the JetBlue Foundation offered flight vouchers to each team’s winner.

Our 2020 Space Apps Cohort Feedback 100% had a positive experience 70% are more interested in STEM after participating Space Apps 70% are more interested in studying STEM subjects after participating Space Apps 80% of girls learned about STEM Career paths 90% would participate in Space Apps again

Our 2020 STEM programming included: Maker Shop/Robotics Lab • Planetarium Science Environmental Science Lab • Urban Farming Mycelium Science and Mushroom Cabinet Food Science and Fermentation

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Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds Our wellness classes have been extremely popular this year, as girls have been eager to move their bodies and enjoy the outdoors after an exhausting and isolating Spring quarantine.

We danced to create, imagine, and revel in joy. Our girls used dance as a tool to process emotions that have come up during the pandemic. We also shared self-care practices.

Movement workshops incorporated holistic wellness practices of relaxation and mindfulness.

Our Run Club kept girls engaged and active in nearby East River Park. Our Voice Identity Power (VIP) Class offered a support circle for girls to share and journal their thoughts, explore and express their identity, and process emotions. Rooftop gardening offered girls and guardians a calm and peaceful retreat from the stressors of everyday life in 2020. We harvested fresh vegetables from our garden, which our culinary team used to create healthy meals.

Our 2020 Healthy Bodies Programming included: VIP (Voice Identity Power) • Nutrition Education • On-site Nurses • Gardening Yoga • Meditation • Dance Movement • Run Club • Careers in Health Culinary Arts • Healthy Living at Home • Tea Time Radio class with Moms

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GALA

Girls as Activists, Leaders & Advocates

GALA is our year-round social justice internship program where passion meets advocacy. We deepen the girls’ critical lens and build their organizing skills around anti-racism, environmental justice and immigrant rights. Through Mentoring and College & Career Exploration sessions, girls gain instruction and insight from women who are out there doing it every day.

GALA Highlights in 2020 have included: A visit and WGRL interview with Olympic Medalist Simone Biles • Hosted the Teens and Young Adults on the Frontlines Panel for the Revolutionary Love Conference A five week Summer Career Readiness Intensive • Weekly Career Seminar Series Tiffany & Co. Career Mentoring • STARS Citywide Youth Town Hall

2020 Survey Responses from GALA Participants 81% Feel more confident in communicating with adults 73% Feel more capable writing professional emails 69% Feel more prepared for job interviews 61% Improved communication skills with public speaking 92% Improved time management, organizing and planning skills 80% Learned how to keep a budget 73% Learned how to identify financial values and priorities.

85% Learned how to set goals, plan ahead and stay motivated 85% Created and improved their resume in this program 100% Reported meeting inspiring women, role models

and professionals through this program

100% Plan to go to college Photo Credit (top left): L. Dwayne Photography

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We Mean Business Understanding money and creating a familiarity with all the levels of commerce is a big deal at Girls Club. Girls gain real-world workplace and entrepreneurial experience as they learn practical skills in creative arts and develop, design, produce, and sell their own handmade products.

La Tiendita is our “Fair Trade & Girl-Made” storefront in nearby Essex Market, where Girls Club alumnae learn entrepreneurial and marketing skills. 2020 featured the release of our handmade PPE collection!

Literacy & Academic Support Through our city-wide DYCD literacy program, we integrate literacy components into all of our programming to support girls’ reading, writing and communication skills — which are critical in the 21st Century. This year, we shared hundreds of high-quality books to girls and families all around New York City. We connected girls with tutors and provided guidance and support as they navigated hybrid and remote learning. We also provided girls the laptops and tablets they needed to continue their learning from home.

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Alphabet City Art School

In Alphabet City Art School, girls tap into their creative passions and explore a variety of opportunities in the Arts, Humanities and Media. Courtney Alexander was our Artist in Residence from January to March, leading the girls in the creation of a tarot card deck.

This multimedia project was exhibited at Art on Paper Fair. Our 2020 Art Studio sessions have engaged girls in drawing, painting, and illustration as a therapeutic means of selfexpression and stress relief. Their beautiful work is now on exhibition at our local New York Assembly Member Harvey Epstein’s office (located on East 7th Street and Avenue B).

2020 Alphabet City Art School Classes included: Sewing and Material Arts • Embroidery • Drawing • Painting • Home Goods Eco-Crafts • Visual Journaling • Comics • Art & Activism • Screenprinting

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Digital Media & Music Technology Our hands-on music making and audio engineering classes provide a space for girls to learn about the scientific principles of sound, how to use digital tools, and develop technical proficiency in remixing, sound manipulation and music composition. WGRL: Where Girl Radio Lives has been active throughout 2020 with podcast creations from the girls.

In the Digital Media Lab we created mini documentaries, animations, and experimental short films that evoke the racial, political and pandemic anxieties the girls are experiencing.

Photography took up the theme of documenting “Quaranteen” life of New York City teens.

In our new video production program, The Afternoon Show, girls crafted their own segments that reflect their experiences and interests. With mentorship from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, girls researched and wrote scripts, conducted interviews, facilitated musical performances, and learned basic editing skills.

2020 Programming included: Photography • Digital Storytelling • Animation • Documentary Film The Afternoon Show/Video Production • Avenue D-Js • Hot97 Internship with Nessa Special Film Screening of Hair Love and a talkback with director Matthew Cherry

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Paradise Member, Age 17 How many years have you been attending the Girls Club? 5 years What does your experience at the Girls Club mean to you? Since I’ve been at Girls Club I’ve been inspired and encouraged to pursue all my passions, even if my interests change every year, or if I have more than one passion.

To me, Girls Club means showing young girls that there are no limits to what they can do and that all of their interests are valid and important. I’ve been motivated by women at the Girls Club to learn about TV production and film, while also having immense support in pursuing public policy and other social justice related activities.

Because the Girls Club taught me that I’m never too young to start doing what I love, I joined my local community board as the youngest member and am now engaged in making change happen in my own neighborhood.

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A Snapshot of 3 Girls

Brenda Alumna, Age 20 How many years did you attend the Girls Club?

Around 3–4 years What are you doing now? I am a junior at John Jay College, where I am a student research assistant for the Legal Disruption Project. I operate focus groups and ask participants to share their experiences and opinions about what they are the most suppressing issues facing their community and lives. The project explores issues facing the community.

What did your experience at the Girls Club mean to you? The Girls Club helped me understand what social justice means to me, my community, and the world. With that understanding, it helped me explore what matters most to me and apply my passions of activism and advocacy into my career and personal life.

The Girls Club was my second home and I grew up with an environment that flourished my skills and also helped me learn new skills I would have never learned in school. The Girls Club is a big part of my life. If I wasn’t part of the Girls Club, I honestly wouldn’t know the type of person I would be today.

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Vonmarie Alumna What are you doing now?

Senior Accountant in Banking What did your experience at the Girls Club mean to you?

I started at the Girls Club freshman year of high school after a yoga teacher at my school recommended it. I was at the Girls Club most days after school attending the cooking program with Miladys at the Sweet Things Bakeshop on Avenue C. It was my first taste of entrepreneurship from the inside looking out.

However, my favorite experience was walking through the doors of the organization and being greeted by all of the staff. I am grateful for their warm smiles, encouragement and hugs. I became accustomed to being in an environment where my dreams never seemed too big.

I will never forget my Museum Club mentor, Louise, who I am still in contact with. Louise was amongst my family members when we returned home to celebrate my high school graduation and acceptance to Fordham University.

Looking back, the Girls Club was an incubator for who I am today and will continue to shape me.

For that opportunity, I am forever grateful.

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New Girl City 31

New Girl City: Agents of Change 32

Implemented to educate and activate future female leaders for NYC and beyond, our New Girl City (NGC) leadership initiative brings together 75 female-identified young people (ages 14 to 21) from across the city to learn the symbiotic relationship between civics, public office, and social justice. We train and build critical skills in community organizing, issue analysis, solution development, and utilize the arts, speech, and action to make an impact.

This citywide initiative is supported by the NYC Council Speakers Initiative.

NGC 2020 partners included Sauti Yetu (Bronx), DreamYard (Bronx), Red Hook Initiative (Brooklyn), FirstStar CSI (Staten Island), and Bard HS Early College Queens. Our 2020 New Girl City cohort of participants (75 total) were 65% Black/ African American, 25% Latinx, 5% Asian, and 5% White. Immigrants accounted for about 20%. New Girl City served girls from across the five boroughs: 29% from Manhattan, 33% from the Bronx, 27% from Brooklyn, 10% from Queens, and 1% from Staten Island). Girls were compensated for their participation and, despite the pandemic, we were able to extend the NGC internship through the summer.

January 2020

Civic Action Projects to their communities. They

On MLK Day, we hosted our Day of Action Kickoff.

tackled Police Reform, Immigrant Life During

Participants came together at the Girls Club to

COVID-19, the Cancel Rent initiative, Food

learn the key elements of civic and social justice

Insecurity, COVID-19 and Mental Health among

leadership while getting to know their fellow

Teens. Principals, elected officials, and parents

Agents of Change. The day was filled with speeches,

from our partner boroughs attended the Zoom

mentorship, lunch with key City Councilwoman

event to learn from the girls’ proposals. In late May

champions, and workshops (photography, radio

we met with data journalist Mona Chalabi, who

journalism, interviews, art, film) which focused

talked about what it means to be a data journalist

on exploring their passions and interests.

and artist who translates complex data sets into digestible and understandable graphics.

February 2020 We hosted Keep Running Shirley: Civic Summit: a

June 2020

symposium dedicated to learning the nuts and bolts

We hosted a virtual A Vote for Her is a Vote for

of civics at the local, state, and national levels. This

Us conference. The Zoom event included a panel

year we focused on the Census and voter rights

discussion with New York City Councilwomen Carlina

and suppression, in light of the 2020 election.

Rivera and Vanessa Gibson. Participants discussed how to get involved with local government as

March–April 2020

young people, finding a mentor, the NYC COVID-19

New Girl City quickly transitioned to virtual

response, women’s leadership in government,

engagement in March. Our participants met

racial unrest, police reform agendas, and the Black

remotely with our partners to conduct Skills for

Lives Matter movement. We also hosted Women

Action Workshops and Local Civic Action Projects.

Run Women Win Panel featuring NYC Council

They also worked together to create artistic tools

candidates Amanda Farias and Althea Stevens

for activism and grassroots lobbying. Each partner

and State Assembly candidate Chantel Jackson,

site created social justice projects within their

along with NY State Assembly Member Chantel

communities, conducting research and offering

Jackson (who won her election on June 23rd).

constructive recommendations for change.

Summer 2020

April 2020

With Con Edison’s support, we were able to

Our participants met virtually with New York

successfully extend New Girl City throughout the

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. We talked

summer, providing paid internships to 35 girls from

about adapting to the challenges of the

across NYC. NGC participants continued to amplify

COVID-19 pandemic, the 100 anniversary

their civic action projects and further cultivate their

of women’s right to vote, the experience of

advocacy skills. In August, they took over Girls

running for public office, and so much more.

Club social media to spread critical information,

th

resources, and suggestions in regards to their civic

May 2020

action projects addressing critical current issues

We hosted the Agents of Change Conference,

such as police reform, food, and housing insecurity,

where participants virtually presented their Local

and youth mental health during COVID-19.

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Staff The Girls Club staff (20 full time, 17 part-time) represents a cross-section of people, most of whom live on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, many who were born and raised here and who are also raising their children here. We consciously create an organizational culture that values diversity, creativity, community, and inclusion— and builds a staff of culturally competent employees. Our staff includes founding mothers, former Girls Club members, and long-time community activists. Currently, 7 Girls Club alumni, as well as 3 mothers of our members, work at the Girls Club; 75% of staff are people of color. Our Executive leadership team, with Ebonie Simpson and Jenny Dembrow at the helm, is BIPOC led. In FY2020 we had 150 volunteers connect with the Girls Club through various workshops and events (in-person and virtual).

Kelly Adams

Jenny Dembrow

Miladys Ramirez

Mary Adams

Lou Dembrow

Nahomi Rizzo

Ian Antoni

Valerie Galindo

Kylee Roberts

Abigail Argueta

Deanna Greene

Nancy Rosario

Kamal Badhey

Erikka James

Ebonie Simpson

Andrea Betanzos

Amarilis Jimenez

Jennifer Sugg, PhD

Jocelyn Bonadio-de Freitas

Megan Kindsfather

Brianna Sumpter

Janette Brown

Jennifer Lee

Shatani Taylor

Lauren Burcheri

Sandra Martinez

Lenora Thornton

Emma Camell

Kevin McHugh

Ooi Lin Trieu

Wendy Cobb

Fly Orr

Kelly Webb

Tara Crichlow

Valerie Polanco

JaimĂŠ Yawa Dzandu

Darlene Pompa

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FY20 Financial Snapshot Our annual operating budget for FY20 (July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020) totaled $3,228,233.

1% Income 19%

Individual Corporate

30% 13%

Foundations Government

37%

Earned Income

Expenses

9%

Programs Fundraising Management

36

18% 73%

Corporations

Arnhold Foundation

Bank OZK

Brooklyn Community Foundation

BDG Media

CBRAT Foundation

Catbird

Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust

Champs Sports

Elaine Gold Foundation

Cognizant

Elhapa Foundation

Collegiate Church Corporation

Jacob Friedman Charitable Fund

ConEd

JetBlue Foundation

Credico

Kate Spade New York Foundation

Estee Lauder

La Vida Feliz Foundation

Great Bowery, Inc.

New York Community Trust - COVID-19 Relief

Gucci

Pettit Foundation

Hauser & Wirth

Priscilla Alexander Philanthropic Foundation

Hypergiant

Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Isla Beauty

Starry Night Fund

La Ligne

The Chicago Community Foundation

Landmark Ventures

The J.M. Kaplan Fund

Levain Bakery

The Macmillan Family Fund

Maybelline

The Martin Family Foundation

McKinsey & Co.

The Mary J. Hutchins Foundation

Nessa on Air

The Thomas & Agnes Carvel Foundation

Nike Sarah Flint

Government Manhattan Borough President NYC Council, Capital NYC Council, Speakers Initiative NYC Council, STARS Initiative NYC Councilmembers Discretionary NYC Department of Cultural Affairs NYC Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) — SONYC Compass NYC DYCD — Adolescent Literacy

Soko Glam Sony Spectrum The Trade Desk Tiffany & Co. Tito’s Handmade Vodka Two Trees Unilever Viacom Warby Parker

NYC DYCD — Compass Explore NYC DYCD — SONYC Compass Summer NYC Speaker Local Initiative NYS Council on the Arts (NYSCA) NYS OCFS USDA Forest Service NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment (MOME)

Other

2020 Pro-Bono Partners Skidmore, Owings and Merrill ARUP JBB Co-Collective clarkmcdowall Accenture Optimist Consulting

United Way of NYC

Shearman & Sterling, LLC

Food Bank for New York City

Lawyers Alliance for New York

Funders — July 2019 to June 2020

Foundations & Donor-Advised Funds

Corporate, Foundation and Government $5k and up funders. Thank you to all of our individual supporters, too many to list here.

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Our Community The Lower East Side remains one of the most densely populated and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in New York. The census tracts along Avenue D, directly across from our facility, report a population that is 64% Latinx, 18% Black/African American, 14% Asian, 2% Mixed Race, and 2% White. 36% of LES residents are foreign-born. 59% of residents receive SNAP benefits. 44% of adults and 72% of youth are living in poverty. 33% of families report an income below $15,000, and 88% of families earn less than $50,000. Local unemployment rates have risen dramatically in 2020 with the pandemic recession.

The 300 girls, ages 10–23, who attend LESGC reflect the diverse demographics of the Lower East Side.

Our membership is 53% Latinx, 40% Black/African American, 2% Asian, 5% White. 100% Qualify for the Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch Program.

Many of our members identify as LGBTQ. Most of our members live at or below the poverty line, reside in public housing and live in homes headed by their mothers or grandparents and extended family. An additional 150 girls attend LESGC through our new city-wide initiatives such as New Girl City and ongoing school and community events.

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Board of Directors Gael Towey

Julia Cheiffetz

Kimberley Hatchett

Co-Chair

Director

Director

De’Ara Balenger

Anil Dash

Camille Joseph-Goldman

Co-Chair

Director

Director

Jen Gatien

Rosario Dawson

Julie Lerner

Vice Chair

Director

Director

Louise Melling

Tricia Donegan

Susan McPherson

Vice Chair

Director

Director

David Flores Wilson

Carter Emmart

Cleo Wade

Treasurer

Director

Director

Angie Klein

Xochitl Gonzalez

Vice Treasurer

Director

Kimberly Aguilera Secretary

Angel Alliance

Executive Committee

We couldn’t do all we do without the support of our Angel Alliance Junior Board.

Emily Frost • Yera Ha • Samantha Lach Alexandria Powers • Alexis Richards • Nia Robinson

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Girls Club Partners We are building a collaborative network of like-minded organizations who share our mission and vision for creating change makers.

In-House Partners

CWBH Advisory Board

Cafeteria Culture

Daphne Rubin-Vega

Environmental Science Education Dorill Initiative Dance and Performance

Judith Aponte, PhD Shelly Kleyn Armistead

Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing

Julissa Baez, MD

On-site nurses for private consults, training

Laurie Beckelman

and nutrition and health education Stacks+Joules Building Automation Training Program Connects youth with well-paying, meaningful

Natalie Brickson Tricia Donegan Camilo Doig-Acuna

jobs that elevate students towards certifications,

Hilary Koyfman

degrees, and life-long advancement.

Susan Luck, RN

Thugg Juice

Marion Reidel, PhD, MSW

Raw juice company founded by veteran

Athanasia Syrengelas, MD, PhD

and entrepreneur Tiffany Padilla

Taylor Williams, MD

National Partners

Rani Varghese

Perfect Ten • Hudson, NY YAYA • New Orleans, LA Two Eagle River School Flathead Nation, Pablo, Montana Las Fotos Project • Los Angeles, CA

International Partners Stsebetik Bolom • Chiapas, Mexico

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Shaheeda Abdush-Shaheed

be our friend on social media at @girlsclubny & check out our website at www.girlsclub.org

The plants illustrated throughout this report are known for their calming properties — lavender, mint, and lemon balm. The herbs were planted by our gardening class and used in our anti-AnxieTeas; a soothing tea we created and shared with our families.

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Joy. Power.

Possibility.