The National Charity League (NCL) is a mother-daughter philanthropic organization where members donate their time serving to charities. There is a variety of philanthropies to work with which create dozens of opportunities to impact the community. The goal of the establishment is to create a connection between mothers and daughters while giving to the community to raise future generations of women.

Many girls in the Klein area from grades 6 – 12 are involved in different chapters of the national organization. One for many Klein Oak girls is the Cypress Creek chapter.

One of the biggest events the Cypress Creek chapter holds is its annual food drive. The week before the event, the members leave food drive flyers on peoples’ doorsteps, asking them to help the community. The next weekend, they return to the homes, pick up donation bags, sort them by category and drop them off at local ministries. A large amount of the community participants in this event, which positively impacts those in need. NCL member, sophomore Katie Shell, said she loves the chance to help those around her.

“The food drive is a great way for the community to get together to help each other,” Shell said. “This year it was even more important due to circumstances because of COVID, and it’s been such a great opportunity to be able to help out our community while bonding with our moms and friends.”

The organization also volunteers at the Atria Senior Living, an assisted living facility where every week the moms and daughters visit the residents and spend quality time with them. They serve ice cream on Dessert Night, play board games or bingo on Game Night, and give hand massages and paint nails on spa night. The members get to learn from people who have lived for many years.

Other than the food drive and Atria Senior Living, NCL serves other organizations. NCL member, sophomore Abbie Wilcox, said she enjoys helping out with Meals on Wheels.

“My favorite service activity is Meals on Wheels because you get to meet many different people,” Wilcox said. “We mostly deliver food to elderly people and they all have super funny personalities.”

The year’s young women spend in NCL shape them as they grow and mature into adults. Monthly meetings and volunteer opportunities give members a way to spend time with their moms while doing good for others around them.

Senior Emma Osborne has been a member for approximately six years and says she appreciates her time that she gave to this organization.

“The relationships you build in NCL are irreplaceable and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities and experiences I gained from serving the community with some of my closest friends and their moms,” Osborne said.

NCL also provides members with ways to get ready for the future.

“NCL has prepared me for the future by showing me how important it is to make time for others even when our own schedule is full, something that I will take with me as I move forward,” Osborne said. “It really helped me learn time management, gave me opportunities to exhibit leadership, and just formed a love for serving others; these qualities will stick with me forever.”