 | | | Members of the Class of 2023 are, front row, from left: Megan Stephens, Sofia Vezzali, Ava Garcia, Elle Forschler; middle row: Abigail Weiner, Catie McCauley, Annie Coane, Shayne Clancy, Ellie Belshaw; back row: Caitlyn Haraburda, Haley Metherd, Paige Davis, Shipley Duff, Alexa Carter, Ana Pieper, Lila Waechter, Nicole Lamison, Sophia Lohman, Ava Martinez, Kay Lankford, Ella Hack Photo provided | | | | | | The Lamorinda Chapter of National Charity League on March 5 recognized and celebrated its 21 graduating seniors in a lovely Senior Recognition event at the Contra Costa Country Club, marking the culmination of six years of service to the community for these dedicated young women. They began their journey in the mother-daughter philanthropic organization as seventh-graders, and have collectively volunteered more than 4,300 hours to local philanthropies, some of which support the arts or the environment, and many that provide health and social services to children, families, and the elderly. The Senior Recognition event provided each member with an opportunity to reflect on philanthropic opportunities, volunteering as mothers and daughters together, and the community built through the organization.
Each year the graduating class of NCL's Lamorinda Chapter selects a local nonprofit organization to support. This year, the 21 girls of the Class of 2023 opted to partner with Grateful Gatherings, an organization that believes that children and adults thrive outside the home if they have a safe, warm, properly equipped and furnished home. Beginning in January, Grateful Gatherings paired the Class of 2023 with a single mother and her 13-year-old daughter living in San Leandro with only two inflatable mattresses, two towels, some disposable kitchen utensils and containers, and their clothes in trash bags.
Together with Grateful Gatherings, the Class of 2023 identified the necessary donations to fully furnish the home for this family and worked to secure those donations, as well as purchase any remaining special items or furnishings. At the end of January, the seniors cleaned the home, installed and moved all items into the home, right down to making their beds and planting the herbs in their small garden. The best part was watching the mom's and daughter's faces as they entered their transformed home. The seniors allocated $2,000 of their class funds to this project and plan to donate any remaining funds after Senior Recognition to Grateful Gatherings.
NCL's Lamorinda Chapter supports many local nonprofit organizations through its mission to foster mother-daughter relationships in its commitment to community service, leadership development, and cultural experiences. Philanthropies include 10,000 Lunches, American Heart Association, Blue Star Moms, Cake 4 Kids, Child Abuse Prevention Council, Community Reading Buddies, East Bay Heritage Quilters, Food Bank of Contra Costa County, Grateful Gatherings, Lamorinda Village, Loaves & Fishes, New Day for Children, White Pony Express, and more than a dozen others. |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA