As seventh-graders, the two Almaden residents joined NCL's Almaden/Blossom Valley chapter, along with their mothers. NCL's goal is to foster mother-daughter relationships through shared community service and cultural experiences.

Now seniors at Leland High School, Jenny and Jillian are ready to "graduate" from the NCL program. Along with fellow Almaden residents Chrissie Bagan, Lynnea Bothwell, Ashley Diamond, Jenna Ramona, Lauren Ryan and Allie Wagner, they participated in the league's Senior Presentation ceremony on March 20.

The ceremony marked the completion of hundreds of community service hours the NCL teens and their mothers put in over the past six years with a variety of local nonprofit organizations. At each grade level, the teens are exposed to different areas of philanthropy.

NCL also provides its members with an infrastructure that motivates them to keep up the good work. Jenny said the league gave her a support system to help keep her on task.

"You're not doing it by yourself," she added. "You're doing it with your mom and your friends, and you're more motivated."

Both Jenny and Jillian performed a wide variety of community service through NCL, working for Second Harvest Food Bank, the San Jose Family Shelter for victims of domestic violence, InnVision homeless shelters, the American Cancer Society and Special Olympics.

At the Special Olympics, Jenny was in charge of handing out medals at the track-and-field events. "You could just see how happy [the athletes] were and what it meant for us to be there and support them," she recalled.

The teens' volunteer work put them in touch with people from all walks of life and often helped them appreciate what they have in their own lives.

"I definitely count my blessings," Jenny said. "You snap out of petty things when you see people who don't have what you do."

"I feel very fortunate [after] seeing the despair of others," Jillian said. "It really makes you happy to go home to your nice warm bed and your family."

Denise Lucas saw her daughter's worldview change through the volunteer work the two did together. "I got into the program so I could spend quality time with my daughter, not just shopping time," she said. "It enlightened my daughter as to the world beyond Almaden Valley."

Sometimes this enlightenment came through harsh reality. Jenny's mother, Patsy, had her most eye-opening NCL experience while volunteering at the Career Closet, which provides business attire for women reentering the work force. A client didn't want to wear a turtleneck that had been selected for her because she'd been hung by the neck during an assault.

"It made me realize how much work there is for us to do out there," said Patsy Lindsay. "Our surroundings are such that, thankfully, we'll never have that experience."

Lindsay said she was impressed by how the teenagers rose, sometimes literally, to each volunteer event. "The kids had to get up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday and were willing to get out there and support Special Olympics."

Founded in 1995, NCL's Almaden/Blossom Valley chapter boasts about 100 members. Nationwide, NCL's membership totals more than 28,000 mothers and daughters in 115 chapters.

In addition to providing philanthropic opportunities, NCL chapters also host annual mother-daughter retreats. At last year's retreat, Jenny taught her mother to crochet, and they made blankets for the San Jose Family Shelter.

"You'd think she'd be teaching me," the teen quipped.

For Jillian, the retreats provided her and her mother with yet another opportunity to spend quality time together. "How often do you have the whole weekend to hang out with your mom?" she asked rhetorically.

Even the Senior Presentations—the teens' last act as active NCL members—helped strengthen the bond between mother and daughter.

"We drove to rehearsal and had the music going and just talked about our days," Jenny said.