EV Charity League honors area girls for their service

The National Charity League East Valley has recognized a number of teen women with the Presidential Service Award for their volunteer contributions to various service agencies across the Valley that totaled over 4,402 community service hours.

The nonprofit, whose mission is to encourage community service for mothers and their daughters, bestows the national award to recipients who have demonstrated a commitment to helping others.

The NCL East Valley Chapter had 35 members honored for community service provided to a variety of agencies including: Paz de Cristo, Arizona Humane Society, Hackett House, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Feed My Starving Children, Operation Gratitude, St. Mary’s Food Bank and more.

This year 17 members were recognized with the Presidential Gold Award for contributing over 100 community service hours; three received the Presidential Silver Award for contributing over 75 community service hours; and 15 Presidential Bronze Awards were given in recognition of over 50 community service hours.

Their total of 4,402 service hours equaled 183 days of community service over a 10-month period.

Malia Spangler, class of 2026 and Gold Presidential Service Award winner, said, “My favorite way to earn hours was this year’s back to school drive. It was so fun to help kids find clothes, new shoes, and items for back to school.”

“Being a member of NCL is important to me because I enjoy spending time with my mother and I’ve learned that it’s important to ask for help when you need it,” she added.

Paige Davies-Boerner, class of 2024 and Bronze Presidential Service Award recipient, said, “My motivation to receive the Presidential Service Award was to know the positive impact that all of my hours were going to have on the community.

“Being a member of NCL is important to me because it connects me to my community, both socially and philanthropically. It has shown me some of the amazing organizations that are within a few miles of me that are here to help different parts of the community,” she added.

Mother/daughter teams interested in learning more on how you can get involved with the NCL East Valley Chapter are urged to contact nclevmembership@gmail.com. The membership drive begins Oct. 1.

Established in Los Angeles, California in 1925, and incorporated in 1958, National Charity League, Inc. is the nation’s premier mother-daughter non-profit organization.

Through mission-based programming, The National Charity League develops socially responsible community leaders and strengthens the mother daughter bond. The core program includes leadership development, community service, and cultural experiences.

Currently, the philanthropic organization, which has grown by nearly 82 percent in the last decade, has over 70,000 members in hundreds of chapters across the nation. Last year, those members contributed more than 2.7 million volunteer hours to more than 4,000 local philanthropy partners and their chapters, resulting in a $66 million fiscal impact.

Gilbert teens honored were: Stephanie Brueck, Alaina Oswalt, Divya Natarajan and Krista Oswalt.

Chandler teens included: Sahana Donepudi, Erin Kennedy, Elizabeth Neves, Lillian Tripoli, Laney Hunsaker, Katie Eberle and Susan Meyers-Kennedy.

Mesa teens honored were: Malia Spangler and Ashley Chaloupka.

Tempe Teens who received were Abigail Dalsin, Grace Kolinchak, Riya Nannapaneni, Sadie Peterson, Claire Samuelson, Isabella Smith, Brynn Taylor, Lilly Zienkewicz, Anna Maney, Alana Marquis, Claire Zienkewicz, Kate Bonham, Paige Davies-Boerner, Abigail Dreckman, Ella Montei, Aubrey Roach, Caroline Sweeney, Ava Titcomb, Lily Dalsin and Celeste Kolinchak.