Highlights
Educational Access
300+ free courses for youth annually in STEM, Arts, Wellness, Media, and Leadership, as well as 100+ free Wellness courses for adults annually.
Social Emotional Gains
95% of youth members demonstrate gains in key social-emotional capacities, including self-management, academic self-efficacy, engagement, positive identity, and social skills.
College and Career Readiness
95%+ of youth members graduate high school, 90%+ pursue higher education, and 90%+ improve their college readiness and career aspirations. 100% know their voices matter.
Food Security
2,200 LES residents access the community food pantry and CSA monthly.
Overall Reach
5,000 benefit annually from LESGC’s programming, services, and initiatives.
Storm, Girls Club Alum Girls Club really molded me into the woman that I am today. It opens your horizons and introduces you to new things - and it doesn’t stop, no matter how old you get.
-
Sarah Paul, Alum
I feel like all kids should be able to have the amount of care and support that Girls Club provides.
-
Dear Friend of the Girls Club,
“This building covers a woman’s chances from birth all the way to the end of life.”
Those aren’t my words—they’re Fannie’s. She’s a Center for Wellbeing and Happiness member, a Girls Club parent, and she’s absolutely right.
In 2025, while others pulled back, we showed up—bigger, bolder, and more committed than ever.
At the Girls Club, our young people led. Through New Girl City, they organized mock elections, designed policy platforms, and testified at City Council budget hearings. They explored the cosmos, created podcasts, practiced 3D design and woodworking, and discovered that creativity drives social change. Our alumnae launched businesses, created films, and turned passion into purpose. They’re not just the future, they’re architects of now.
A Note from Our Executive Director
At the Center for Wellbeing & Happiness, we celebrated three years of intergenerational care. Members of all ages danced, created art, connected, and shared wisdom. Neighbors became family, and we fed 2,200 of them each month through our food pantry and CSA. From 10-year-olds performing poetry to elders in our art studios, we proved that wellbeing, creativity, and belonging have no age limit.
This is the work you make possible. And the need has never been greater. Families are stretched thin. Food insecurity is rising. Seniors are aging in place without support. The spaces where young women of color and gender-expansive youth can dream freely, explore boldly, and lead unapologetically are under threat.
In these maddening times, our members give us hope for the future, and it’s oh so bright - a future where wellbeing isn’t a luxury, where creativity is accessible to all, where elders are honored, where youth lead, and where no one is left behind. Joy is Resistance and Community Care is not only how we survive but also how we thrive.
You’ll read more about our dynamic programming in the pages that follow. But first, I want to say thank you for believing in this work. Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for making Joy, Power, and Possibility real.
With gratitude and unwavering commitment,
Jenny Dembrow, Executive Director
P.S. Turn to the end of this report or visit support.girlsclub.org to make your gift today. Every dollar goes directly to free programming, food access, and community care.
About Us
A
safe
space for everyone to learn and grow.
- Lanese, Girls Club member
The Lower Eastside Girls Club connects young women and gender-expansive youth throughout New York City to healthy and successful futures filled with Joy, Power, and Possibility. Since 1996, the Girls Club has nurtured safe spaces where young people can dream big, find their passions, and connect with peers and careers through free, year-round programming and mentoring. Inside our doors, members have access to Art, Design, Digital Media, and Sound Studios, a STEM lab, a Maker Shop, an Environmental Education Lab, the East Village Planetarium, a Culinary Center, a Movement Space, a Rooftop Farm, and all the free programming that goes along with them.
Our Center for Wellbeing & Happiness (CWBH), which opened in 2022, expands our mission and reach to offer healing-centered wellness services to all generations and genders on the Lower East Side. CWBH serves as both a hyperlocal community gathering space and a dynamic wellness hub, offering free nutrition classes, fitness programs, creative expression workshops, and support groups, along with a Weekly Food Pantry that serves over 2,000 neighbors monthly.
This building covers a woman’s chances from birth all the way to the end of life. Women in this community— it gives us hope, it gives us love, it makes us feel important. There’s no amount of money that can give that to somebody, this sense of having a place where you are seen in a big city - it’s only here. I want to thank the Lower Eastside Girls Club and Center for Wellbeing and Happiness forever.
- Fannie, CWBH Member & GC Parent
1996 In a neighborhood with three Boys Clubs, the Girls Club launched with a community celebration at Theater for the New City.
1998 Rented our first space in the back of a 90-cent store on Avenue D. Programs soon expanded to over two dozen locations in the LES.
2000 Started our first international partnership with Stsebetik Bolom, a young women’s photography collective in Chiapas, Mexico. Rented a commercial kitchen and launched Sweet Things Bake Shop.
2002 Started our first Farmers Market on Avenue D at the future site of our facility.
2003 Opened our first art gallery, digital photography lab, and podcasting studio at our storefront office on E. 1st St. Marched against the Iraq War in NYC and DC. Visited the Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers in Florida.
2010 Broke ground at our Center for Community on Avenue D
2013 Opened our 35,000 sq. ft. Center for Community facility
2016 Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited the Girls Club
2017 Participated in the Women’s March in Washington, DC
Our History
2018 Launched New Girl City: Agents of Change, a city-wide civic leadership initiative. Michelle Obama visited for an intimate lunch and conversation with members.
2019 Hosted Stacey Abrams and Fair Fight Action for voting rights.
2020 Provided critical pandemic relief to our community. Created our Food Pantry.
2021 Celebrated our 25th Anniversary Gala, honoring Stacey Abrams
2022 Opened the Center for Wellbeing & Happiness
Our Community
on the Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, Manhattan Community District 3, is one of the most densely populated, ethnically varied, and incomediverse neighborhoods in New York City, with approximately 163,141 residents1 The population living within the census tracts surrounding our facility2 in the Lower East Side (CD3) identifies as 44% Latinx, 22% White, 17% Asian, 14% Black, and 3% Other3. The median household income is $37,7854. 60% of households report an income below $50,0005 and 55% of youth are living below the poverty line6
With 72% of youth members having African diaspora heritage, 42% identifying as Latine, and 33% embracing multi-racial identities, our membership reflects the beautiful complexity of New York City’s youth. This diversity shapes everything we do—from culturally responsive programming, to multilingual family engagement, to creating safe spaces where youth can explore all dimensions of who they are.
Girls Club reached over 1,300 youth ages 10-23 in 2025. 330 youth enrolled in Girls Club afterschool programming, coming to the LES from across the five boroughs. Among active members, 39% identify as Black/African American, 33% as Multiracial, 12% as Asian, 11% as White, 4% as Middle Eastern/North African, and1% as Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Ethnically, 42% identify as Latine, 58% as Non-Latine. A majority of our youth use she/her pronouns, with emerging they/ them representation.
Coming to the Girls Club has given my children a sense of freedom, responsibility, accountability, and confidence.
- Yolanda, Girls Club Mom
The Center for Wellbeing & Happiness, serves as a culturally rooted institution of the Lower East Side with 44% of adult members identifying as Latine (including 27% Puerto Rican, 9% Dominican, 9% Other Latine), and 24% identify as Black, 10% as Asian, 10% as White, 8% as Multiracial, 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 3% Other. Gender representation among adults at CWBH: 83% female, 14% male, 2% non-binary, and 1% prefer not to identify. On average, 350 adults visit CWBH every month, with hundreds more attending ongoing community events. 40%+ of CWBH members are ages 50+, with seniors (62+) as the single largest age group. This reflects CWBH’s critical role in serving older adults and seniors on the Lower East Side, combating chronic loneliness, providing accessible wellness programs, and addressing food insecurity through our Community Food Pantry and CSA, which reach over 2,200+ LES residents every month, including 250 Girls Club families
Girls
Club is here, not only
to provide for you but also to comfort you, to amaze you, to bring you that peace of mind that you might need.
- Kiki, Member
Girls Club has linguistic diversity—26% of members speak a language other than English at home. 16 languages are spoken in total, with English (74%), Spanish (13%), and Mandarin (5%) as the primary languages. Additional languages include Arabic, Bengali, Urdu, Twi, Greek, Nepali, Filipino, Russian, Yoruba, among others, illustrative of the wide-ranging global communities that come through our doors.
From Girls Club youth (ages 10-23) to CWBH seniors (260+ members ages 62+), we truly serve every stage of life on the Lower East Side—creating an intergenerational community anchor where cultural continuity, mutual support, and collective wellbeing thrive across generations. The Girls Club doesn’t just serve a diverse community—we celebrate it, honor it, and build our programming around the lived realities of navigating life in NYC. This is the foundation of Joy, Power, and Possibility.
1 2020 Census NYC Population Fact Finder
2 Census Tracts: 22.01, 22.02, 10.02, 20, 24, 26.01, 26.02, 28
3 2020 Census NYC Population Fact Finder. Census Tracts: 22.01, 22.02, 10.02, 20, 24, 26.01, 26.02, 28
4 2018-2022-American Community Survey (ACS). (2022). NYC Population Fact Finder. Census Tracts: 22.01, 22.02, 10.02, 20,24, 26.01, 26.02, 28
5 ibid
6 ibid
When I think of the Girl’s Club, the first thing that comes to mind is that it takes a village. I’m a single mom of two daughters. The programs here, the staff here, the resources here are a part of that village that we have.
Yolanda
It’s a gem. Especially in a community like this, it’s definitely the missing piece that a lot of kids need.
- Sarah, Alum
Girls Club Mom
Making an Impact
The Girls Club supports our members along the journey toward a life of Joy, Power, and Possibility. We integrate research-based positive youth development practices that demonstrate social-emotional learning outcomes correlated with long-term gains and increased lifelong thriving. The guiding goals of our programmatic model are Empowerment, Passion and Joy; Meaningful Access to Resources; Social Connectedness, and Health and Wellbeing7.
Empowerment
Members strengthen social-emotional capacities, demonstrating confidence, purpose, perseverance, and a solid sense of self. They can navigate the world and take action to change it.
Meaningful Access to Resources
Members connect with the resources, opportunities, and social support they need to heal, envision a future, and set a path forward to achieve their dreams.
Passion and Joy
Members thrive as they explore interests, discover and pursue their creative passions, take risks, collaborate, communicate their ideas, and fulfill their potential.
Social Connectedness
Members experience solidarity and a sense of belonging, strengthen social skills, build supportive peer groups, and authentically engage with staff and mentors who encourage, challenge, and care.
Health and
Wellbeing
Members practice self-care and develop habits for lifelong health.
STEAM
Our expansive STEAM programming, led by Vargas, spark curiosity from "Heaven to Earth." From exploring the cosmos in our 64-seat planetarium to hands-on building in the Maker Shop, members dream big, ask bold questions, and imagine new futures. Through 3D design, woodworking, planetary science, gardening, and food sustainability, they discover how creativity and science intersect—building confidence, problem-solving skills, and a lifelong sense of wonder.
Young scientists explored the universe in our new Astro Camp course, led by Meteorite Petrologist Dr. Jasmine Bayron and Iman Behbehani, who holds an MS in Astrophysics. Through playful experiments—like analyzing meteorite composition using candy bars—and virtual NASA missions, members discovered that science is both rigorous and imaginative.
In Life Explorers, led by Al Nguyen, asked: What do living things need to thrive? How are we connected? Members 3D-printed plant pots, studied seeds under microscopes, cared for classroom creatures, and revitalized local street trees—learning that science is ultimately about care for ourselves, each other, and the planet.
Our High School Explorers Club, in partnership with BioBus, tackled realworld challenges at the intersection of STEM, social justice, and community. Students analyzed climate-related flooding, designed green infrastructure solutions, and advocated for sustainable change on the Lower East Side.
Wellbeing in Action
Programs That Heal and Connect
At the Girls Club, we create a safe and supportive space where members develop sustainable self-care practices and healthy habits that support their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing throughout their lives. This year, with professional development support from the Child Mind Institute, our young team of program assistants, who are also Girls Club alumnae, gained evidence-based strategies for socio-emotional support and implemented these learnings through an experientiallyinformed, community-centered approach. These Chill and Chat sessions offered members opportunities to relax, connect with peers, and experiment with self-care techniques. Through conversation, art, and mindfulness activities, they build toolkits to support emotional regulation, decisionmaking, and stress management. Our Restorative Circles, led by Jaimé Yawa Dzandu, created yet another opportunity to build emotional awareness, self-expression, and peer connection among members.
I’ve learned that I’m more resilient than I thought. Even when things don’t go the way I planned, I can adapt, keep going, and find a way to make things work.
- Caydin, Girls Club Member
I think that it’s important for young people to have a space like this so that they can express themselves because a lot of kids don’t get to express themselves at home or at school. Spaces like this really help kids open up…. In overwhelming situations, I would use the skills that I learned here to focus on my feelings and calm down.
- Jamia
Healing Sounds
Sound practitioner Sarah Auster has been hosting monthly sound baths in our planetarium, creating a sanctuary of healing vibrations. Beneath the starlit dome, community members journey through inner and outer space—guided by sound, held by silence. These immersive experiences nurture emotional wellbeing, deepen listening, and profound spaciousness.
Menstruation to Menopause
Embracing the Body as Home, led by the interdisciplinary wellness practitioner, Jaimé Yawa Dzandu, created an intentional space for intergenerational dialogue about our changing bodies. This gathering honored the full spectrum of embodied experience—recognizing that embracing the body as home is a lifelong practice, not a destination. Through storytelling, movement, art, herbal care, performances, games, and a shared meal, we wove together past, present, and future. Youth glimpsed the road ahead; elders shared the wisdom of experience; and together, we created a community anchored in care, curiosity, and deep respect for our bodies' journeys.
I learned new information, dispelled myths, and received useful care resources. I was grateful for the medical lecture and the fellowship opportunities.
- Adult Participant
It made me feel more knowledgeable about my body and unafraid.
- Youth Participant
Pathways College and Career
92% of High School participants report that the Girls Club helps them envision their future.
85% of High School participants report leaving the Girls Club with greater career knowledge and workplace readiness skills. 95% of High School participants report setting and managing goals tied to their passions and interests
Empowering members to build healthy, successful futures is central to Girls Club’s mission. Our Grownish program, led by Shyvonne Sanganoo, invites high school participants to reflect on who they want to be, what kind of life they want to build, and how their passions can translate into real-world opportunities. Members explore careers across fields—from creative industries to STEM and beyond— weighing how different paths align with their educational, emotional, and financial
needs. Meeting weekly throughout the school year, they engage in hands-on activities, field trips, and guest visits from inspiring professionals, discovering what different careers actually look and feel like. In 2025, Grownish connected with ENVSN Fest, Magnolia Bakery, H&M, KITH, Hoop York City, Anomaly, and Away, and Girls Club Alumnae enjoyed professional development and networking experiences with Djerf Avenue, Tiffany & Co., Gap, and Tapestry. In addition to career exploration, Girl Club led students on college tours to give them a glimpse into campus life and future possibilities, visiting Boston College, Emerson College, Northeastern University, and Harvard University.
Our annual Senior Celebration was nothing short of iconic, with a Y2K-themed party to honor our incredible Class of 2025 as they step into their next chapter.
Mentorship
Mentorship is one of our most impactful, longest-running programs, building trust and connections that extend well beyond the school year. Members are paired with a caring adult who truly gets to know them— listening to their lived experiences, interests, and passions. Our mentors show up with genuine care and consistency, nurturing
relationships grounded in mutual respect, encouragement, and excitement. Through exciting outings and shared experiences, curated by the fabulous Shyvonne Sanganoo, members explore their city, try new things, reflect on their growth, and discover new perspectives and possibilities in life.
One of the most valuable lessons my mentor taught me is to focus on progress, not perfection. They showed me that small, steady improvements can lead to big results over time.
- Caydin
I’ve learned that I really like exploring the city with my peers.
- Imani
I learned to try new things, like new foods, go to new places, do different activities, and meet new people.
- Emmalyn
My mentor is there for me.
- Noni
Art + Media
Creative expression fuels empowerment at Girls Club. Our Art and Sound Studios are the spaces where creativity becomes confidence, voice, and agency. From painting to podcasting, welding to songwriting—we share the tools to bring bold ideas to life. In Visual and Material Arts, members experiment with clay, acrylics, watercolors, charcoal, murals, mosaics, and screenprinting. Through Performative Arts and Movement, our members express themselves through dance, poetry, and song. Best of all, our creative expression courses span generations—from fifth graders to elders—at the Center for Wellbeing. Our Design Studio offers handson exploration in woodworking and crafting, where students transform concepts into tangible creations. In our Digital Media and Sound Studios, members sharpen technical skills and master storytelling through photography and podcasting for WGRL (Where Girl Radio Lives) and Liberation Lab. Music Production classes in DJing and composition give members access to cutting-edge equipment to record, mix, and produce their own beats and melodies. And for young adults ages 18-23, our partner, Building Beats, leads the Frequency Society Program, which provides workforce training and mentoring in radio production
Batik
Girls Club youth and CWBH members explored the ancient art of batik through a unique program sponsored by Hermes and led by Girls Club arts instructor, Azzah Sultan. Batik is a fabric-dyeing technique that uses wax to create intricate patterns and vibrant layers of color. At the Center, adult members joined their pieces into a community “quilt.” Their collective work became the first community art installation at the CWBH, which was celebrated with a special artists’ dinner.
Frequency Garden at MoMA PS1
Our teen storytellers, led by Kelly Webb, partnered with Public Assistants and MoMA PS1 to create Frequency Garden—a dream lab for streaming, dreaming, and creating change—featured in Don Christian Jones’ exhibition. Students explored themes of nature, culture, home, and community through site visits, field recordings, and interviews, producing a four-part podcast series now streaming on WGRL via Apple and Spotify.
We’re also proud to introduce Liberation Lab Mix Tape, a podcast created by CWBH members who came together with Kelly Webb this summer to write poetry, make art, and record dialogues weaving memory, imagination, and lived experience. Liberation Lab celebrates intergenerational wisdom and collective creativity, embodying our belief that art and storytelling light the path toward freedom.
Art materials can be very expensive and hard to get ahold of, so the fact that the Center has so many opportunities for people to express themselves
is incredible. It’s also so
good
for relaxation and mindfulness.
-
Nayiel, CWBH Member
Art Exhibitions
Our lobby at the Girls Club and Happiness Hall at the Center for Wellbeing & Happiness are living galleries, spaces where art, storytelling, and community converge. From textiles to photography, our exhibitions celebrate creativity as a force for connection, reflection, and change.
Bodega Quilts
with artist Cassandra Mayela Allen
This stunning textile exhibition transformed our lobby into a tapestry of New York life, exploring barbershops, bodegas, and beauty salons as cultural hubs of creativity and resilience. Cassandra Mayela Allen’s work honors the legacy of quilt-making as a form of storytelling, uncovering the socio-economic realities of migrant communities and the invisible structures that shape them.
Growing Pains
Curated by Azzah Sultan and Sienna Fekete
Growing Pains brought together a dynamic group of artists, including several Girls Club instructors, to explore how art becomes a vessel for revisiting youth, memory, and the ongoing journey of selfdiscovery. Featuring Artists: Ayanna Nayo, Amarilis Jimenez, Azzah Sultan, Daisy Ruiz, Destiny Mata, Joalis Silva, Monica Hernandez, Rosa Lee Rodriguez, Sarah Elawad, Zayira Ray
Made By Us
20 Years of Fashion, Sustainability & Sisterhood
A celebration of two decades of artistry in our Sewing & Design Studio, Made by Us, showcased the evolution of a program rooted in selfexpression and sustainability. Over the years, we’ve collaborated with icons like Patricia Field, Scooter LaForge, Amy Sedaris and Angélique Kidjo, and that spirit continues to thrive. A heartfelt thank you to Mary Adams, our beloved sewing instructor of 20 years, and to everyone who came out to celebrate this legacy with us.
LES Yearbook
Curated by Destiny Mata
A celebration of community & culture, this exhibit, brought to us by Destiny Mata, honored the Lower East Side through photography, mixed media, and storytelling, capturing the neighborhood's vibrancy and history through the eyes of its people.
LES Yearbook is a multimedia project in collaboration with residents from Lower East Side public housing to create a yearbook that celebrates the spirit and legacy of our community through photography, art, poetry, music, and conversations between our elders and youth. This yearbook will serve as a timeline to preserving resident narratives and touching on community wellness, perceptions of space, and finding common ground through shared memory.
- Destiny Mata, LES Yearbook Founder
Lighting the Edge, LES
Curated by Dr. Mollie Serena
I’ve never gotten the chance to exhibit my work so close to home and in my community. It’s very special. I feel honored, not only to see my work displayed but also the work of a bunch of incredible artists and photographers. I love that it’s documenting the lives of Lower East Side residents.
- Nayiel, CWBH Member & Exhibit Artist, LES Yearbook Exhibit
Honoring the LES
Part of a multi-year series of participatory light installations developed in conjunction with a Design Trust for Public Space project at the Lillian Wald NYCHA houses, this exhibition explores the history, people, and art activations over the last decade that have contributed to transforming a fenced-off area into a vibrant community park. This project demonstrates how public art can sustain community engagement, reclaim underutilized space, and illuminate the role of collective authorship in shaping New York’s future public landscapes.
Credits: Heriberto Sanchez
NEW GIRL CITY
New Girl City, our city-wide civic leadership initiative, engages youth from across the five boroughs for learning, networking, and action. This year’s theme—2 L.I.T. 2
QUIT: Literacy is Transformational— led by Lacresha Berry, challenged students to recognize literacy as the foundation for leadership, civic engagement, and social change. Participants explored how reading, writing, and critical thinking empower them to understand the ballot, amplify their voices, and shape their communities’ futures. The program opened with an inspiring Leaders for Literacy & Civic Change panel, then moved into hands-on creative workshops where students designed book covers, campaign buttons, and wrote song lyrics— discovering firsthand how words and ideas ignite action. The program culminated in a powerful closing event featuring remarks from New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. Students also organized and participated in a mock mayoral election, presenting bold, imaginative platforms for a more equitable city—demonstrating that youth don’t just inherit the future; they are building it.
100% NGC participants report a likelihood to vote
95% NGC participants report an increased interest in civics, politics, and activism
95% NGC participants report that they routinely had opportunities to participate in decision-making and that their voices and choices were valued.
Girls Club helps me with speaking up and letting people hear my voice, and it really just helps me be an overall better person.
- Delilah, NGC participant
Advocacy in Action
Being a part of New Girl City made me realize that we need to take politics more seriously because it really impacts us as a community. I think it made me want to read more about how things are funded and how we can get the help we need in the world.
- Lanese, NGC participant and “Mayor” of New Girl City 2025
We couldn't be prouder of New Girl City participant Rebekah Kwong, who took the mic at the New York City Council FY26 Preliminary Budget Hearing to advocate for increased funding for youth-serving nonprofits like the Girls Club. Speaking with clarity and conviction, Rebekah shared how these spaces transformed her confidence, introduced her to public speaking, and opened her eyes to a future full of possibilities. Her testimony wasn't just advocacy—it was living proof of why this work matters.
The Girls Club allowed me to open my eyes and grasp what I want to be…. Without these nonprofits, I wouldn’t be standing where I am. Many women wouldn’t be where they are today.
- Rebekah, Girls Club Member
Filmmaker Aicha Cherif,
Aicha’s story represents the ultimate Girls Club journey: from discovering her passion as a member to spearheading projects that address her community’s needs as an adult.
Aicha joined the Girls Club when she was 8 years old, and remains a cherished member of our community. Aicha considers her Girls Club mentor one of her best friends and they continue to meet to this day.
The Girls Club taught me to take up space, be creative, and dream big,
In 2016, Aicha created her first short film, CUT, in our documentary program and discovered her passion for filmmaking. Through her films, Aicha delved into critical aspects of women’s health and human rights, aiming to spark change in the world. This foundation led her to pursue a degree in Film Studies at Barnard College.
By making films and being at the Girls Club, I learned what it means to be an activist who wants to create change - and using art as my medium.
Since graduating, Aicha has turned her love for filmmaking into a career. She created a powerful documentary, HEAT, which tells the story of “three women who live in the LES projects. When the push towards privatization of public housing deepens, each woman grapples with the meaning of home.”
Aicha has also taught Screenwriting & Film Production class at the Girls Club. This Spring, she hosted a screening of HEAT and a community conversation about housing rights at CWBH. HEAT has been featured in the exhibition "Lower East Side Yearbook: A Living Archive" at Abrons Arts Center. We love seeing her apply her many talents towards projects that give back to and celebrate her community. Aicha is an inspiration to us all.
Image courtesy: Destiny Mata
“Deli Divas” Aysia + Sarah Entrepreneurial
Two Girls Club alumnae, Aysia “Jinsi” Johnson and Sarah Paul, have transformed their culinary passions into thriving small businesses and continue to find support, resources, and creativity through the Girls Club.
Aysia joined the Girls Club in elementary school, where she nurtured her love for baking through our culinary education programs. That spark grew into Jinsi’s Bake Shop, known for nostalgic, home-baked favorites with a creative twist. “Girls Club is a place where you can come and actually find yourself,” she says. “It’s a place where you become a community with everyone and have support for basically your lifetime.” Over the years, Aysia has come back to host pop-ups at the Girls Club. She has used our kitchen to bake, and this summer she hosted an entrepreneurship event, the Summer Solstice Social, where she brought together local small businesses for food, shopping, and a panel discussion.
Sarah, founder of The Official Sasou, describes her business as “where food and memories collide.” Inspired by her late mother, she shares Haitian dishes like boudin balls, rasta pasta, and jerk chicken. Sarah credits the Girls Club with helping her build the courage to pursue her dreams. “The Girls Club made me courageous.” she says.
Like Aysia, Sarah has returned to use the Girls Club kitchen, participate in pop-ups, and stay connected through events and mentorship opportunities that nurture her entrepreneurial growth. “I don’t know what I would have done without my business,” Sarah says, “and my business doesn’t know what it would have done without the Girls Club.” Together, Aysia and Sarah host pop-ups three days a week at the deli across the street from the Girls Club as The Deli Divas.
I know because of the Girls Club that it’s possible. I don’t have to be limited. I can be myself.
22
Wellbeing & Happiness
Years of Wellbeing Center for
In October, we celebrated the 3rd Anniversary of the Center for Wellbeing & Happiness (CWBH), our cornerstone of care on the Lower East Side and a vital space where community members access healing, learning, and connection.
At CWBH, wellbeing isn’t a luxury. It’s a right. And it’s for everyone. We founded CWBH on a fundamental belief that the wellbeing of our young people is inseparable from the wellbeing of their families, neighbors, and broader community. In just three years, this vision has matured into a vibrant, intergenerational hub welcoming people of all ages and genders—including many Girls Club alumnae—to participate in free wellness programming.
Attending classes at the Center as an alum is an experience of nostalgia. Reconnecting with a space that holds so many memories feels like continuing a journey.
- Kristhany, Girls Club Alum & CWBH Participant
From Fitness & Movement to Nutrition & Environment to Arts & Creativity to Community Groups and Cultural Events, CWBH, led by Kiera Del Vecchio, offers pathways to wellness that honor the whole person and the whole community. The numbers tell a powerful story: since 2022, CWBH has enrolled 1,731 members —including 260+ seniors ages 62+, offered 100+ courses annually, and hosted hundreds of community events—but the true measure lies in the lives touched, the connections forged, and the healing that ripples through our corner of the Lower East Side.
If you’re interested in any of the arts, any of the sciences, music, community, activism, literally everything that you can think of that is positive and can help you grow is here at the Center. This place has been the world for me.
- Trevor, CWBH Member
At first, I didn’t like the idea of leaving the Girls Club, but knowing that I’m still able to be a part of a community that has changed me so much, made me feel better.
- Storm, Girls Club Alum & CWBH Participant
Nourishing Community
Since our founding in 1996, Girls Club has championed food justice as essential to community well-being. For nearly three decades, we’ve offered innovative programs in nutrition, culinary education, gardening, food science, ecology, mycology, and environmental advocacy— recognizing that access to healthy food is inseparable from health equity, economic opportunity, and community resilience.
Today, our food justice work continues to evolve, creatively addressing food insecurity while building skills, knowledge, and agency. Through our multi-faceted approach, we empower individuals of all ages and genders to access healthy, affordable food, develop sustainable food practices, and strengthen their physical and mental well-being—one meal, one skill, one connection at a time.
Everything with food is interconnected with nature and life itself. A lot of the classes I teach, I’m always trying to bring it full circle. The start of a little seed or plant and how it ends up on our plate, it’s all connected.
- Al, Girls Club Instructor
Our food justice work has always been rooted in collective care: neighbors, youth, staff, and families coming together to nourish, connect, and build a healthier future. From our earliest days selling baked goods to fund a dream, to transforming a vacant lot into a vibrant community hub, and now operating a community food pantry that serves over 250 families weekly, our journey has always centered relationships.
- Kiera,
In 2025, our Community Food Pantry serving 2000+ monthly, led by Nicholas Guillem, successfully transitioned to a hybrid client choice model, a shift that honors the dignity and agency of every person we serve. By empowering community members to choose what they take home, we’re meeting diverse nutritional and cultural needs while reducing food waste and operating more efficiently.
This Fall, we have expanded our food justice work by piloting a subsidized Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share program in partnership with Norwich Meadows Farms. This initiative connects 80+ SNAP recipient families directly to fresh, local produce while supporting sustainable farming—addressing food insecurity and food sovereignty simultaneously. Together, these responsive programs reflect our commitment to meeting the urgent needs of this moment while nourishing community resilience.
Girls Club’s impact is magnified through collaboration. Working alongside mission-aligned community partners is fundamental to how we operate and essential to achieving our shared vision for the Lower East Side. This year, we want to spotlight partners who are nourishing our community in profound and tangible ways.
Food
withFam
The “Community Health Program,” brought to us by Food with Fam, transforms lives by addressing both food insecurity and chronic health conditions through a holistic, community-centered approach. Facilitated by professional chefs and certified nutritionists, this program offers hands-on cooking workshops where participants learn to prepare nourishing, plant-based meals that support chronic disease management. Each week, participants receive a carefully curated bag of fresh produce and groceries, from which they can make healthy recipes at home. carry forward long after the program ends. By addressing the oftenoverlooked emotional and psychological dimensions of food insecurity, these sessions go beyond practical skills and nutritional literacy, empowering families to make informed food choices and carry this practice forward.
The Food with Fam program is life-changing. The way it’s being taught is eye-opening. It teaches you how to eat, how to smell, and the textures of foods. It’s not about a diet; they’ve never mentioned the word diet, it’s just about eating properly, eating healthier. The small group is so intimate, and it makes you open up. It’s the best class I’ve ever had, the best experience I’ve ever had, and no one judges you. They’re just nice people, period.
- Mama Jen, (Jennifer Lee)
I try to give folks a new lens through which to view food. We are reinventing what a meal can be, so you can be a little more creative, break out of old eating habits, and form new habits and relationships with food. I do this through skills training —how to season food and prepare ingredients in ways they never thought possible.
- Al, Girls Club Instructor/Food with Fam Chef
CenterLES Ecology
One of our longest-running partnerships is with the Lower East Side Ecology Center (LESEC) What began decades ago with environmental education workshops for youth members has evolved into a deep collaboration centered on food justice and community care. In 2025, LESEC’s “Nourishing Communities: Food Justice & Advocacy” workshop series at CWBH brought together residents, youth, and local leaders to explore how food systems, advocacy, and health intersect. Participants received farm shares from the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, created seasonal recipes, and visited the farm in upstate New York. The series culminated in a Community Food Zine, created with partner Cafeteria Culture, that captured the collective wisdom and vision of this intergenerational experience.
Additional LESEC workshops in partnership with CWBH in 2025 included:
• Just Pickle It! Food Preservation workshop
• Master Composter Series
• Paper-making workshop
• Cyanotype making workshop
• Winter Cooking workshop: Beans
• Spring Cooking Workshop: A Celebration of Fresh Early Crops
• Street tree identification/Watercolor workshop
• Food & Natural Materials Bundle Dye workshop
• 16 LESEC summer interns volunteered with our Food Pantry
Community Kitchen
During the Summer of 2025, Girls Club partnered with Community Kitchen, a groundbreaking nonprofit reimagining what restaurants can be when designed around well-being rather than profit. Founded by Mark Bittman and led by Executive Director Rae Gomes, with menus crafted by James Beard Award-winning Culinary Director Mavis-Jay Sanders, Community Kitchen operated out of our kitchen and cafe space from September to December 2025.
This pilot demonstrates a powerful premise: that great food can be grown, sourced, prepared, and served with justice and equity at every step. Community Kitchen proves that excellent cuisine, fair wages, local sourcing, and universal accessibility aren’t competing values—they can coexist.
We’re proud to support a model that treats access to good food not as a luxury, but as a universal right, and that creates a replicable blueprint for transforming our food systems from the ground up.
Block Party
CWBH Group Events
Program Partners & In-Kind Support
Partnership with mission-aligned organizations is integral to the Girls Club model—enabling us to leverage collective strengths, share resources, and build a robust ecosystem of support that serves our community. We want to express our gratitude and recognize our many partners in 2025.
And Still We Ride
Away
Bard High School Early College
BioBus
Building Beats
Cafeteria Culture
Child Mind Institute
City Center
City Kids
CityAS School
Community Health Network
Community Kitchen
Creative Time
Dorill Initiative
East Village Neighbors Who Care
ENVSN Festival
EVLoves
Farm School NYC
Food with Fam
For the Family NYC
Heritage Radio Network
International Girls Ensemble (IGE)
Know Your Rights Camp
La MaMa
LES Ecology Center
LES Yearbook
Loisaida Center
MoMA PS 1
New York Restoration Project
Norwich Meadows Farm (CSA)
Rebel Girls
Rise
Shape Up NYC
The Trust for Governors Island
The Grandparents Story Lab
Poughkeepsie Farm Project
University Settlement
Weill Cornell Medicine
In-Kind Support
Akerman LLC
Optimist Consulting
SYLVAIN
Lawyers Alliance for New York
Girls Club Board Members
+ Alliance
Girls Club Board of Directors
Anil Dash, Chair
Kimberly Aguilera, Vice Chair
David Flores Wilson, Treasurer
Woozae Kim, Secretary
Keisha Golding
Lysandra Ohrstrom
Jen Gatien
Julie Lerner
Nexus Sea, Esq.
Rosario Dawson
The Alliance Junior Board Executive Committee
Jessica Nazira Cárdenas
Rachel Roderman
Kerry Aronchick
Claire Malloy
Eileen Kelley
Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2025 (unaudited)
*** Note of Explanation:
The Girls Club has navigated significant financial challenges in 2025 and emerged with renewed stability and momentum. In 2019, we purchased an additional 5,000 square feet to establish the Center for Wellbeing & Happiness—a major investment in our community’s future. However, the mortgage expense, combined with renovation costs inflated by pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, created an operational deficit. Through disciplined budgeting, strategic decision-making, and careful stewardship throughout Fiscal Year 2025, we have stabilized our finances and are projected to end Fiscal Year 2026 with a balanced budget. This turnaround reflects both our organizational resilience and our unwavering commitment to sustainable growth that serves our community for many years to come.
Funders
Corporate, Foundation, Government, and Individual Funders 5k and up from June 2024 to July 2025.
FOUNDATIONS & Donor
Advised Funds
Adobe Foundation
Amplify Her Charitable Foundation
Blue Hill Road Foundation
Brothers Brook Foundation
BT Charitable Foundation
Chicago Community Foundation
Coastal Community Foundation
Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust
Hopewell Fund
K & R Moelis Family Foundation
Kate Spade New York Foundation
La Vida Feliz Foundation
LuJean's Charitable Fund
Mary J. Hutchins Foundation
Maybelline New York Brave
Together
MetLife Foundation
Schwab Charitable Foundation
Taylor Rooks Foundation
The MacMillan Family Foundation Inc.
United Way of NYC
Walentas Foundation
Wu Family Charitable Foundation
CORPORATE & Other Institutions
Away
Boys Club Net Gala
Calvin Klein
Chobani
H&M
Hermes Holocene Advisors
J. Crew
La Force Maybelline La Ligne
New York Presbyterian
Hospital
Madewell
Magnolia Bakery
Museum of Modern Art
Orabella
Tangerine
Tapestry
Tiffany & Co.
Topicals Rx, Inc.
Two Trees
Ulla Johnson
United Talent Agency LLC
Warby Parker
Government
New York City Council
New York City Department. of Youth and Community Development
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
New York City Department of Social Services
New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
New York State
Assemblymember Harvey Epstein
New York State Senator Brian
Kavanagh
New York State Education Department
Individual ($5k+)
Brandon Haley & Anna Flett
Deanna Burke
Susan Isaacs
John Isaacs & Jody Emmet
Jane Lauder
Julie Lerner
Nicole Moudaber
Michael Naimy
Em Newman
Madeline Noveck
Laurie Olinder
Mark Ronson and Grace
Gummer
Peter Sheahan
In-Kind Donations
Aesop
Athena Club
Bombas
Cocojune
Community Food Connection
Grey Matter Concepts
Kate Spade New York
Knaughty Knitters
La Ligne
MSG - Knicks
Moleskine
New York State Dept. of Health
Numi
Pop-Up Florist
Rachel Allan
Radio City Rockettes
Táche Pistachio Milk
Topicals Rx, Inc.
Trinity Church
Wegmans
Whole Foods
Kelly Adams
Ian Antoni
Lacresha Berry
Haydee Cornelio
Kiera Del Vecchio
Jenny Dembrow
Valerie Galindo
Jamyra Graham
Nicholas Guillem
Jamila Harriott
Megan Holleran
Erikka James
Amarilis Jimenez
Kevin McHugh
Albert Nguyen
Eliza Owens
Miladys Ramirez
Jayleen Rosario
Shyvonne Sanganoo
Jennifer Sugg
Elizabeth Taliaferro
Vargas
Kelly Webb