This year’s Gala will celebrate our rich and radical history and every step we’ve taken since 1996 to create a more equitable future rooted in gender, racial, and climate justice. We will revisit our roots and pay homage to the founding women—moms, activists, and community leaders— who saw the dire need for a safe space for girls and fought to build what Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer now deems “the most innovative and responsive nonprofit in New York City.”

We will reflect upon the ways we showed up for our community during this unprecedented and challenging year, from providing in-person and virtual programs to distributing over 71,000 meals, cash infusions, Girls Club-made Wellness Kits, and supplies. And we will look ahead to the future with our new Center for Wellbeing & Happiness, which is expanding our mission from serving the girl and her family to serving her entire community.

The work we do at the Girls Club is deeply personal; it transcends the basic ideals of youth and community development. We are radically imaginative and revolutionary in our approach. We model our efforts on heroines, like Stacey Abrams, who see a future that expands the boundaries of our current realities.

That’s exactly why, in 2018, we created Girls Club’s citywide civic leadership initiative, New Girl City: Agents of Change. This initiative educates and activates female-identified and gender expansive leaders (ages 14 to 21) across New York City to learn and navigate the symbiotic relationship between civics, policy, and social justice. It is designed to be an incubator and pipeline for future Stacey Abramses.

In 2019, we had the pleasure of hosting Stacey and Fair Fight Action. Our members were inspired by Stacey as she spoke about voter suppression, disenfranchisement, and her mission to promote fair elections, encourage voter participation, and protect voting rights.

Stacey Abrams embodies who we want our members to aspire to be: someone who understands their power and the collective power of community and who skillfully leverages those powers for systemic good. Stacey has been a champion of our values at the Girls Club and for this reason, we are delighted to honor her at our 25^th Anniversary Virtual Gala.