The Lower Eastside Girls Club

Perhaps you know her from The Mandalorian. Or Men in Black II. Or Sin City. Or Kids. We're talking about Rosario Dawson, an absolute chameleon on screen—just glimpse back at that sample roster of credits. The actress has a knack for slipping into endless guises, whether gritty, slick, heat-seeking or otherworldly. But there's one notch on her CV that has remained reliably consistent she since catapulted into the public space in the mid-Nineties: Rosario Dawson, advocate and activist.

Which is why we're proud to name the native New Yorker our latest #VBGIVESBACK woman and support her charity of choice, the Lower Eastside Girls Club, which connects girls and young women to healthy and successful futures. From now until the end of March, a portion of proceeds from every single veronicabeard.com order will benefit the nonprofit, which celebrates its 25 anniversary this year.

Don't let the name fool you—no, it's not connected to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "It's totally grassroots and autonomous," says Dawson, whose relationship with the group goes back nearly two decades. "I’ve always been blown away by the hustle and bustle of LESGC and just how big and expansive it's become. When people think 'girls club,' they think recreation center or an after-school program, something like that. But this is beyond."

The actress knows firsthand the effect it's had on the neighborhood—she hails from the Lower East Side herself. "This did not exist when I was living there," adds Dawson, who grew up in a local squat and was famously discovered sitting on her stoop. "It's been uplifting for the LES."

The impact of the girls club is more than the sum of its parts—the organization gives its young members the tools, knowledge, experience and support they need to heal, thrive and radically imagine their future and their community. "There’s always an open door, always a welcoming hug," Dawson says. "That’s what family is, and that’s at the core of everything we do."

What's the origin story behind LESGC?
Before LESGC was founded in 1996, there were three boys club in the area but nothing for girls. A group of women from the community said, "Enough is enough," and started it. At the time, LESGC didn't have a building and pretty much bounced around and inhabited any space they could get—church basements, schools, community rooms in public housing…
The Girls Club was the little engine that could. It went from a shopping cart with art supplies to a state-of-the-art facility, with fantastic, phenomenal programming. People think the organization is connected to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, but it’s not; it’s totally grassroots and autonomous. It can be as progressive, innovative and radical as it wants.

What’s the mission at the heart of nonprofit?
To provide opportunities for girls and young women. To expose them to all different walks of life and careers. To spark curiosity, creativity and innovation. And to engage in social justice—from day one, the girls club has been on the front lines fighting for gender, racial, climate and socioeconomic justice. We've taken it to the streets for over two decades. We're raising the next generation of ethical entrepreneurial and environmental leaders.

And about the LESGC tagline—joy, power, possibility…
I love that joy is right next to power. Our joy is our power and that’s not something that is normally thought of together. In activism, you can’t just trudge away at the work. You have to be in your bodies and in your spirit. Do you rage or do you express your power by showing the world what is missing? You have to inject joy into the process.
By working together, we can be transformed and make our own narrative. If you know what you can control—which is your own joy, power and possibility—you have an incredible foundation to create anything you want, anything you can imagine.

What kind of support does the organization provide?
LESGC offers 360° support. It fulfills and answers everything a young woman could face, from mentorship to wellbeing to the emotional aspects. We holistically approach her entire life. It’s not just about the education, although, of course, we want the girls to succeed academically in every sector of their life—but that’s not how we gauge success.
Crisis intervention was something that was built into the work the group does, too. LESGC has never been a nine-to-five organization. I’ve heard stories of staff rushing to the hospital to be at a member’s bedside. They are always available to our members and make sure the girls and their families have all the support they need.

How long can a girl be a member?
When you’re part of this extraordinary family at LESGC, you’re always a part of it. You never get kicked out. We’ve had alumni who become mentors or work at the girls club. We have members who are no longer living in the Lower East Side and they’re still a part of LESGC. They still travel down here because it’s that important to them.
We are the stable, reliable presence in their lives. When there’s no family to contact, whom do you reach out to? The girls club. Because there is no judgment; there is only support and love. There’s always an open door, always a welcoming hug. That’s what family is, and that’s at the core of everything we do.

How did you first become involved?
Honestly, it's been so long I can't even remember. I've done everything—fundraising, joining marches, digging up the first scoops of dirt for the building on Avenue D, talking to and working with the girls, helping them get goods… I'm from the Lower East Side and, after watching so many organizations come and go, this one has always made me believe in the profound. It's been a privilege being a part of it. The work LESGC does is vital, it’s important, it’s worthy.

Let’s talk about the incredible building on Avenue D…
I call it 35,000 square feet of awesomeness. It's a hub of innovation. I saw it as the construction was happening and they were lifting an Airstream onto the second floor! That turned into the recording studio for WGRL, LESGC’s girl-powered radio station. They have a planetarium, STEM Labs, a roof garden, a meditation space, an actual pizza oven from Two Boots. Even the bathrooms are beautiful—the girls apprenticed with local artists and created these magical mosaics.
These girls are normally not invited to or have access to spaces that look like that. It’s about creating a space for them so they feel ownership. They know that this is their space—they deserve it and they helped make it possible.
And it’s not just about the resources. It’s also the experience—the breath, scope and beauty, the inspiration that comes with it. That’s always been a provocative part of LESGC, even when it operated out of much smaller spaces—the organization has always had this incredible vision of what is and what could be, and making it resonate with the history, the ancestry and the pride that comes directly from the Lower East Side community. We want these girls to know they are a part of and from something really special.

A planetarium?
Yes, and the girls aren't just sitting back and watching the shows. They are active participants and the creators—they make their own planetarium shows. They make the music in the sound studio. They create all the content. It's pretty extraordinary. What kid can say, "Oh, I made my own planetarium show?" Only a fraction of the people in the world can say that. It's a pretty great resume builder.
People always ask, "Why a planetarium?" Well, why not? Research shows that to engage children in science, you either do it by dinosaurs or space. LESGC thought, we'll leave the dinosaurs to the museum; we can do the space thing.
They offer these shows for free to the community, too. Go to another planetarium and the tickets are really expensive. We have thousands of public school students from neighboring schools, all ages, coming.

That’s amazing…
I’ve always been blown away by the hustle and bustle of LESGC and just how big and expansive it’s become. When people think “girls club,” they think recreation center or an after-school program, something like that. But this is beyond. Visiting LESGC is like visiting Google. It’s mind-boggling. If there’s something that a girl can potentially do, LESGC has got it on the list.

How has the organization evolved through the years?
You know, when the club moved into its headquarters, the fear was that it would lose the intimacy of the parallel family and personal connection, because LESGC really tailored the program to the girls' needs and interests. To everyone's delight, that has not been the case. Yes, it's grown and it’s able to do more programs and even more innovation, but the core mission still remains the same.
I would say that what's changed has been the needs of the community—it was dealing with different issues back then in the Nineties vs. now. What remains is that we are still serving the population around us, who still very much need us. Poverty still exists. Racism still exists. Inequalities still exist.
We've also expanded our reach and extended some of our programs to all of the boroughs—New Girl City, for example, is a new city-wide initiative for civic engagement and leadership.

Tell us a little bit more about that…
New Girl City brings together 75 female-identified young people from all five boroughs to learn about civic engagement. LESGC trains them in critical thinking, community organizing and all the different ways you can do that, whether through the arts, speech or action. The girls are looking at what 2020 has done to the economy; advocating for changing disproportionate policing; and addressing food insecurity, housing rights and the impact of COVID happening around Black and Brown communities. You hear certain activists talking about these issues—these girls are living it.
You think the girl who got a computer during COVID so she could keep up with homeschooling isn’t going to remember that need and how people came together, as a community, to help her? We want our girls to understand that there is power in civic engagement and knowledge. These are our future leaders.
It’s important to point out that the girls involved are ages 14 to 21—because that’s when you start being specific about your passions. We don’t cut them off at 18. So many things cut off at that age and they’re still really young. They need to keep thriving as they’re exploring what civics, public office and social justice are to them. They need time to figure out what their voice is.