Fostering kittens was not what Sierra Sadri had in mind when she joined National Charity League Colorado Springs. Sierra, a 16-year-old field hockey player and baking enthusiast, looked forward to joining her friends who were already in the organization and learning about the 17-plus philanthropies supported by the group.The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region is one of those philanthropies, one that has become more than a casual volunteer opportunity for Sierra and her mom. Through their participation in NCL, Sierra and Taneda have discovered a passion.As fosters for the Humane Society, they support the HSPRR mission of ensuring every pet has a safe place to go for shelter and care. In fact, Sierra, with help from her mother, has fostered almost 100 animals. Additionally, she has earned the prized title of Platinum Paw Volunteer for donating over 1,000 hours of service while nurturing abandoned or homeless puppies, kittens, dogs and cats.The Sadrisí extraordinary efforts represent the character of most mothers and daughters, grades 7-12, in NCL Colorado Springs. As one of 270 national NCL chapters, with about 200 members from the greater Colorado Springs area and El Paso County, NCL Colorado Springs is a nonprofit organization designed to nurture the mother-daughter relationship while embracing philanthropy, leadership and culture.Since joining NCL, Taneda says she realized, ìIt is nice to do something with Sierra and me versus Sierra and her team. It is a perfect way to spend time together, make a difference, and learn about local organizations we werenít always familiar with like the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. Once you volunteer, you learn about how much they do for the community.îNCL Colorado Springs supports philanthropies that meet most interests. The American Heart Association, Care and Share Food Banks, Childrenís Hospital, and the Rocky Mountain Womenís Film Institute are just a few of these organizations. NCL COS also provides meals for the Ronald McDonald House, maintains trees and trails with the Friends of Cheyenne Canyon and adopts families during the holidays.To teach leadership, mothers in NCL run the chapter while daughters mirror the same management structure. Each class elects a board with a president, vice president and so on. Girls create agendas and manage meetings, develop skills, gain confidence and become positive role models. Taneda adds, ìIt is a great way for the girls to learn how to be on a board before going into the real world.îOverall, these experiences look great on a college application. Plus, NCL provides a chance for mothers and daughters to develop a lifelong appreciation for giving back to the community. Most of all, NCL gives girls the opportunity to grow into the best individuals they can be.Since 2019, NCL Colorado Springs has contributed 6,322 volunteer hours in our community. Nationally, NCL Inc.ís 200,000 members made a $68 million dollar impact. Learn more about NCL Colorado Springs membership by visiting https://www.nationalcharityleague.org/chapter/coloradosprings/ or emailing†membership.nclcoloradosprings@gmail.com.
