Coat drives, family adoptions, fundraisers for kids in hospital, youth sports donations, Christmas gifts for foster youth and kids in juvie; whatever the cause may be, for nearly a decade, Lezlee Robinson has been making it happen behind the scenes.
Now, Robinson, the co-owner of Rice Street Tattoo and fundraising workhorse, has officially launched the Rice Street Foundation nonprofit to continue filling service gaps in Carson City.
The newly formed Rice Street Foundation operates on a simple mission: “When a gap appears in our community’s safety net, we connect people and resources to close it.” Robinson, serving as the foundation’s founder and president, is joined by a board of dedicated local volunteers including Treasurer Ashleen Lealand, Secretary Natasha Miller, and board member Summer Anderson.
Robinson said she is driven by a belief instilled by her late mother that every individual deserves to be loved and given a chance to succeed, and so far, Robinson’s advocacy has touched hundreds of lives across Northern Nevada.
Her extensive community service recently earned her the “Citizen of the Year” award from the Carson City Elk’s Club.
Long before the foundation’s official launch, Robinson was known for her grassroots initiatives.
A tattoo parlor may not strike you as a hub of wholesome charitable causes, but that’s exactly what Rice Street Tattoo has become over the years — especially during the holiday season.
For seven years, Robinson and Rice Street Tattoo have been “adopting” teens in foster care and those in transition to ensure they have gifts and essentials for Christmas.
What began as an effort helping a single-digit number of kids quickly expanded.
Recently, she spearheaded efforts to provide gift cards and necessities to 52 local teenagers through a Friday the 13th tattoo flash and beer release party.
“This year more than ever we need the community’s help,” Robinson said during a recent holiday drive. “It’s extremely important to me that we start with what we can do in our own community.”
The foundation’s holiday efforts also include the “Holiday with a Homie” shopping trip for teens who aged out of Carson City’s annual “Holiday with a Hero” event, as well as the annual Shoe Tree holiday shoe drive.
Partnering with Shoe Tree Brewing Co.—who created the “Rice Street Lager” for the tattoo shop’s grand opening in 2019 as another fundraiser—the drive collects snow boots, athletic shoes, and everyday essentials for children, teens, and seniors in need.
But Robinson’s charitable reach extends far beyond the holiday season. Through Rice Street Tattoo and the new foundation, she has organized a number of events including the “Smooch-A-Pooch” adoption fundraiser with local animal rescue Res-Que (in which Robinson ended up taking home one of the pups left un-adopted herself), and the “Brew Down” to raise funds for the Carson High School Wrestling Boosters.
During the Caldor Fire evacuations, Rice Street Tattoo was transformed into a collection center, gathering water, toiletries, and pet supplies for displaced residents, the Nevada Humane Society and FISH.
Currently, Rice Street Foundation is partnering with Hideaway Hair Lounge to host a pants drive for local high school students. The organization is collecting new or gently used leggings, sweatpants, and pants to ensure students have access to a change of clothes and can feel confident at school.
To learn more about Rice Street Foundation, you can visit them at ricestreet.foundation
