National Charity League: Together Mothers & Daughters Engage in Community Philanthropy

 

The National Charity League Inc., aka, NCL,  is a non-profit organization comprised of mothers and daughters who engage in acts of charity in their local community.  The girls are welcome to join NCL when they are in 7^th grade and are encouraged to remain active in the group along with their mothers throughout their high school years.  The organization celebrated their 50 year history in 2008 and has more than ninety local chapters throughout the United States.  

While the name National Charity League was coined in 1947 as the first mother-daughter charity, its origin dates back to 1925 when a small group of ladies engaged in philanthropic work for the Los Angeles Red Cross with their daughters in tow.  The group of community volunteers expanded and the young girls decided to give themselves the name Ticktockers.  The mothers followed suit and named themselves, Patronesses.  Today, these names define the mother-daughter duo throughout the NCL.

Because of the popularity of the NCL in our town, Ridgefield is blessed to have two chapters: The Ridgefield Chapter, born in 1984 and The Nutmeg Chapter which created in 1999; each is filled to capacity with 270 mother/daughter pairs performing community service and fulfilling the mission of NCL “To provide service to its communities while fostering the mother-daughter relationship.  Through our volunteer work today, we hope to make the world a better place tomorrow.”

 In order to join NCL, mothers and their daughters must be sponsored by a current NCL member who is in “good standing”.  This means that the member must have completed the minimum community service requirements as dictated by the chapter.  While both Ridgefield Chapters have some philanthropies unique to their group, both provide service to local town charities and non-profit groups including: The Keeler Tavern, The Amos House, Ballard Green, RVNA, Meals on Wheels, Founders Hall, The Discovery Center and New Pond Farm. 

 For more information on The National Charity League or to find a chapter in your area, click here.