National Charity League Evergreen Chapter celebrates graduating members

May 24, 2022 10:30 am
Left to right, Mercer Island Evergreen Chapter of the National Charity League graduating members: Arushi Dash, Hayden Rubin, Alex Van Blerkom, Morgan Dawson, Mira Patel, Vaiva Raisys, Abigail Orndorff, Kaisa Olson, Liv Talerman, Elizabeth Baker, Audrey Clayton, Stella Prophater and Jaya Krauser. Not pictured: Annie Sowards, Kate Petersen, Olivia Stovall, Sydney Hoang and Mia Nakano. Photo courtesy of Rich Clayton
Left to right, Mercer Island Evergreen Chapter of the National Charity League graduating members: Arushi Dash, Hayden Rubin, Alex Van Blerkom, Morgan Dawson, Mira Patel, Vaiva Raisys, Abigail Orndorff, Kaisa Olson, Liv Talerman, Elizabeth Baker, Audrey Clayton, Stella Prophater and Jaya Krauser. Not pictured: Annie Sowards, Kate Petersen, Olivia Stovall, Sydney Hoang and Mia Nakano. Photo courtesy of Rich Clayton

Special to the Reporter

The Mercer Island Evergreen Chapter of the National Charity League (NCL) honored the community service and leadership contributions of its membership at the chapter’s annual celebration and senior recognition on May 22 at the Stroum Jewish Community Center.

The NCL is a national membership organization for young women in grades 7-12 with a mission to foster the mother-daughter relationship through an ongoing commitment to philanthropy, culture and leadership.

Comprised of 313 daughters and mothers on Mercer Island, the Evergreen Chapter partners with more than 30 local nonprofits to promote community engagement. The members also participate in leadership development opportunities and cultural experiences, all designed to help promote and develop the next generation of women leaders.

Despite the challenges imposed by COVID and many organizations operating remotely, volunteer efforts by the Evergreen Chapter of NCL effectively shifted accordingly, and the members demonstrated their commitment to the community by collectively performing nearly 5,000 hours of service from April 2021-April 2022. From making pet blankets for cats and dogs at the Seattle Humane Society, to sorting and intaking donations at the Mercer Island Thrift Shop in support of Mercer Island Youth and Family Services, to making bracelets and sending well wishes to men and women of the armed services through Operation Gratitude, the organization is honored to contribute to many worthy causes. Other philanthropies supported by the Evergreen Chapter include Imagine Housing, Northwest Harvest, Special Olympics, Mary’s Place and many more.

The graduating class of 2022 was recognized at the event for its six years of involvement in the organization, during which members contributed a cumulative total of 4,819 philanthropic hours, including 651 this past year.

Graduating members are: Elizabeth Baker, Audrey Clayton, Arushi Dash, Morgan Dawson, Sydney Hoang, Jaya Krauser, Mia Nakano, Kaisa Olson, Abigail Orndorff, Mira Patel, Kate Petersen, Stella Prophater, Vaiva Raisys, Hayden Rubin, Annie Sowards, Olivia Stovall, Liv Talerman and Alex Van Blerkom.