The Topanga Town Council (TTC) is one of the hardest working and most productive non-profit volunteer organizations in the canyon that is easy to take for granted because so much of the work they do is behind the scenes.
We hope the impressive four-page insert on pages 19-20 remedies that when readers see the scope of what a few volunteers have accomplished for the community since the Topanga Town Council’s inception in 1977.
Stacy Sledge joined TTC in 2000 and has been president since 2008. In that time, she and the small TTC Board of Directors have made giant strides for the community
She wants people to know that “TTC is not a government organization but is Topanga’s bridge with its governing body,” the L. A. County Board of Supervisors, our supervisor, Sheila Kuehl (supervisorkuehl.com/), and the many county agencies we depend upon.
As a result of the relationship it has built within the county, TTC provides a thorough guide to resources on its website (OneTopanga.com) for any number of concerns that residents may have. In cases when a little hand-holding is needed, any one of its members would likely step up to do that.
“What I really love about doing this, Sledge says, “is that we get to be part of nearly every other nonprofit organization in Topanga. We help each other, and we learn from each other.”
Sledge acknowledges that she stands on the shoulders of those who came before, and last year, when TTC was named Nonprofit of the Year by the Topanga Chamber of Commerce, today’s Town Council took their bows with TTC founder, Jan Moore, and former board members Marty Corbett Brastow, Susan Clark and Mohan Joshi. It was a proud moment.
Chamber president Jenni Billings notes how closely they work with TTC to promote local businesses, especially during road closures when they need to collaborate with Supervisor Kuehl’s office, CalTrans and law enforcement to ensure that signs are posted saying that Topanga businesses are open,” she says. “And residents who show up at the [monthly] meetings or reach out to TTC in other ways, can actually meet with our governing officials.”
The community calendar posted on TTC’s website (onetopanga.com), is another benefit, Billings says. “We can all see what is happening and avoid conflicting activities. TTC does all of this and more all through the work of its dedicated team of volunteers working tirelessly and passionately and are just some of the reasons we chose to honor the Topanga Town Council—past and present—as the 2016 non-profit of the year,” she says.
“No organization is one person,” says Sledge. “I can’t lead without everyone else co-leading with me. In the time I’ve been here, the work feels like it has quadrupled. We need others to step up because it takes a village, money and time to do what we do.” Something as simple as taking notes for the monthly meetings would help, she says.
“We are people like everybody else with a passion for the community” she says. “We want to leave a positive imprint, so we raise our hand and volunteer to do what needs to be done.
While monetary donations are always welcome and needed, TTC asks for commitments of time and expertise from people to help carry what has become a heavy but essential service to the community.
After you’ve read through the insert, consider where you might fit in. Become a Friend of TTC. Become another passionate volunteer who loves living here and wants to give something back.
Note: There will be no December Meeting. Monthly meetings will resume January 12, 2018, and every second Wednesday of the month thereafter unless otherwise noted.
Please think Town Council on Giving Tuesday, November 28!