National Charity League Inc. launches Garden State South chapter
By KELLY FLYNN
The Sun
The nation’s largest mother-daughter philanthropic organization is coming to South Jersey.
The National Charity League Inc. is launching a Garden State South chapter, its second in New Jersey.
Chapter President Carole Butler, a resident of Cherry Hill and director of curriculum and instruction at Moorestown Township Public Schools, has spent two years bringing the National Charity League to the area, and the chapter is officially accepting new members. Mothers with daughters in seventh through 12th grade who reside in Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties are welcome.
The league is a long-standing nonprofit that was established in Los Angeles in 1925. It boasts more than 260 chapters in 29 states and more than 200,00 members.
The organization has three pillars: philanthropy, leadership development and cultural awareness. Together, mothers and daughters volunteer their time. Members are grouped by grade level, with each year targeting a different set of skills or areas of focus.
Daughters must attend at least six meetings a year, and mothers at least five. They must accomplish 10 to 15 hours of community service in a year.
Butler said the group came on her radar following a conversation with her sister, who is involved in a Georgia chapter. Butler mentioned that she wanted some sort of community service experience in which both she and her seventh grade daughter could participate.
So, Butler reached out to the league about bringing a chapter to South Jersey.
The pandemic delayed Butler’s efforts to get the chapter started, but now it’s full steam ahead.
She has established a board and a Facebook page that are both recruiting members, though it has been a struggle to get the word out. While the league is well-known in other parts of the country, many in South Jersey have not heard of it.
The league differs from an organization like the Girl Scouts in that the nonprofit allows mothers and daughters to create experiences together, such as making dinner for families at the Ronald McDonald House.
“We’re very excited to start the chapter and provide these wonderful experiences for moms and daughters,” Butler said.
The board has identified six local charities as potential partners, but once the organization is up and running, the group will vote on those.
At the moment, the chapter is based out of Cherry Hill, where most board members reside, and meeting locations are subject to change as more people are recruited..
On June 23, the chapter will host a meet and greet for all mothers and daughters to showcase its upcoming plans. Those interested in attending can email MembershipGardenStateSouth@nclonline.org or call Butler at 609-977-1173.
Visit the group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NCLincGardenStateSouth to learn more.
