On Saturday, March 16, the Westside Chapter of National Charity League, Inc. honored 15 Los Angeles area high school seniors at its annual Senior Recognition Dinner held at Le Meridien Delfina in Santa Monica.
National Charity League, Inc.’s mission is to foster mother-daughter relationships in a philanthropic organization committed to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences. In total, the Westside Chapter has contributed nearly 3,400 hours at various local charitable organizations over the past year. Areas supported by our local chapter include children in foster care, women and homeless shelters, programs for Veterans, health care and wellness services, animal shelters, and soup kitchens. In addition to volunteering with local Los Angeles area charities and nonprofit organizations, each young woman fulfills the requirements for participation in cultural activities and leadership development from seventh grade through her senior year of high school.
The Class of 2019 has volunteered at 14 local charities, developing a love for community service alongside their mothers. Together they provided over 1,025 volunteer hours. Catherine Jones, 17, was this year’s recipient of the Senior Service Award, which celebrates the senior with the most volunteer hours throughout her tenure. Catherine completed 168.5 cumulative philanthropic hours in her six years serving the Westside Chapter.
“I was surprised and honored to receive the Senior Service Award,” says Catherine Jones, senior at Viewpoint School and Palisadian native. “I loved volunteering at many NCL philanthropies, but Hollygrove holds a special place in my heart. Working with the kids at Hollygrove was always both meaningful and fun. I will never forget my time in NCL. Through NCL I have also been able to spend a lot of quality time with my mom, and we have made many memories together that I will always cherish.”
To be recognized are: Charlotte McKenzie Andrews, daughter of Andrea and Mark Andrews; Jessica Lauren Bierschenk, the daughter of Lory and Kurt Bierschenk; Penelope Brindley, daughter of Jill and Paul Brindley; Grace Lee Cortese, daughter of Jocelyn and Greg Cortese; Taylor Fourtiq, daughter of Teresa and Micahel Fourtiq; Raven Marie Hilyard, daughter of Dawne Loera and Todd Hilyard; Catherine Liliana Jones, daughter of Heather and Evan Jones; Isabel Emmie Lewis, daughter of Ysette Witteveen and Richard Lewis; Hallie Mandato, daughter of Kathy and Vito Mandato; Melanie Kikumi Matayoshi, the daughter of Lillian and Duane Matayoshi; Katherine Paula Thomas, daughter of Nell Oliver and Duncan Thomas; Sierra Danielle Urbach, daughter of Gloria Kim and Dan Urbach; Kiley Wallace, daughter of Kitty and Craig Wallace; Claire Morrison Wiegand, daughter of Michele Shafroth and Marker Wiegand; and Grace Cameron Winter, daughter of Daniela and Doug Winter.
Established in Los Angeles, California in 1925, and incorporated in 1958, National Charity League, Inc. is the premier mother-daughter organization of women and their daughters in grades 7-12. Currently the membership organization has 70,000 Members in more than 256 Chapters that thrive in 27 states nationwide. Having grown by 65 percent in the past decade, those Members contributed 1.5 million volunteer hours to more than 3,000 local philanthropy partners last year alone.
Established in 2010, National Charity League, Inc., Westside Chapter currently has 213 Members and provides hands-on volunteer service for 14 philanthropic organizations in the community. Members are women and their daughters, grades 7-12. Through this community service, NCL, Inc. develops socially responsible community leaders and strengthens the mother-daughter relationship. The traditional Six Year Core Program also includes leadership development and cultural experiences.
For more information on the local Westside Chapter, visit their website at www.westside.nationalcharityleague.org.
Submitted by Anna Purdum, National Charity League, Inc. - Westside Chapter
