Every fall, the Santa Barbara chapter of the National Charity League (NCL) organizes a tradition called Ticktocker Day, an event that helps the organization meet its goal of fostering mother-daughter relationships through community service.
Ticktockers (the daughters) donate their time to serving community philanthropies. They organize a large philanthropic event on their own, building leadership skills in the process, and are further educated by listening to a speaker on a subject of charitable or cultural interest.
On this year’s Ticktocker Day, Nov. 3, some 100 Ticktockers in grades 7 through 12 from schools across Santa Barbara worked together at the Page Youth Center for several of the 20 charities NCL supports throughout the year.
The young women cooperated on projects to benefit the Mental Wellness Center, Dream Foundation, Storyteller Children’s Center, and the Foodbank of Santa Barbara.
Sitting at tables, on the ground or wherever they could, they rolled up their sleeves to do such tasks as making personal cards for the terminally ill, sorting and stamping grocery bags for the Foodbank, and artistically decorating care cards.
The camaraderie the Ticktockers found in helping their community’s charities was evident by their productivity, smiles and enthusiasm all day.
“Ticktocker Day was such a fun, interactive way to pull all grade levels in our organization together. We bonded as a chapter,” said Annabelle Tiller, a sophomore Ticktocker and member of the Ticktocker Leadership Council that organized the event.
“Today was one of my favorite NCL events, and I’m so fortunate I was a part of organizing it,” she said.
As part of the day,Ticktockers also held a food drive to benefit the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and donated some 650 pounds of food, including 22 turkeys.
Erik Talkin, Foodbank CEO,spoke to the Ticktockers about diverse solutions to feeding those in need. He explained how the Foodbank served the community’s needs during the Thomas Fire and January debris flows by setting up new food distribution sites at community centers away from the ash.
More than 350 people volunteered for the Foodbank in December and January, Talkin said.
As a result of the disaster and support from the community, the Foodbank has been able to create Disaster Boxes, which contain nonperishable food products, a first-aid kit and a mask, designed to provide the supplies and food for one person for one week in the event of a disaster.
The kits are being sold by the Foodbank for $60 each, and when purchased, the Foodbank will donate a matching kit to the community.
“The Foodbank is an amazing organization, and Erik Talkin is a fantastic leader,” said Katie Browne, a senior Ticktocker, who took the lead planning Ticktocker Day and introduced Talkin to the group.
“It was so inspiring to have him speak to us today about the work that the Santa Barbara Foodbank has done for our community, especially during the fires and debris flows this past year,” she said.”I think today empowered us all to be grateful to be part of such a resilient community.”
Two Patronesses (mothers), Juneal Chenoweth, Ticktockers vice president; and Jenn Duffy, vice president-elect, were key in helping organize the 2018 event by facilitating meetings, modeling leadership, and fostering an environment of collaboration and teamwork.
Laura Forster, president of the Santa Barbara chapter of NCL, whose intentional focus for the league this month is Giving and Gratitude attended the event with her daughter Samantha, a junior on the Ticktocker leadership committee.
The Santa Barbara Chapter of NCL supports 20 philanthropies in Santa Barbara:
B.U.N.S. (Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter), Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, Children’s Creative Project (I Madonnari Chalk Festival), Cottage Hospital, Dream Foundation, Direct Relief International, Explore Ecology, Santa Barbara Foodbank, HEARTS Adaptive Riding Center.
Mental Wellness Center, MOXI, the Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation, Santa Barbara Museum of Art & Ridley Tree Art Education Center, Museum of Natural History & Sea Center, Safety Town (Soroptimist International), Special Olympics, Storyteller Children’s Center.
Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, Unity Shoppe, Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens, and UCSB Koegel Autism Center.
— Kim Blankenhorn represents the National Charity League of Santa Barbara.