Teenagers find rewards in serving the poor

The teens helped out each Wednesday at the Friendship Table, a program hosted by Sacred Heart Church in Albany for residents of the city's North End.

Held in the church basement, the Friendship Table began last February with 20 to 30 people coming for lunch each week; that number has gradually increased to approximately 120 people.

Restaurant setting

People sit at tables and are asked what they would care to drink. They are informed about the meal being served that day; on a recent Wednesday, for example, goulash was the entree. Child- and adult-sized portions are available.

"The philosophy is everybody is welcome," said Rev. Thomas Hayes, then pastor and since assigned to St. Mary's, Crescent.

Lots of work

Others, such as the teenagers from St. Pius, began helping during the summer, but they have found their labor of love to be just as rewarding:

* "It's been a good experience, and it makes you feel good to help other people," said Lauren Paulsen, who is in St. Pius's religious education program.

* Matthew Dougherty, another religious ed student, especially enjoys it when the youngest patrons of the Friendship Table appreciate his work. "You feel good when the little kids say 'Thank you,'" he said.

Sharon Randall, youth minister at St. Pius X, believes the teens have learned lessons that they'll remember through their involvement with the Friendship Table.

"I think it was meaningful for them to be waiting on tables and being exposed to this environment," she said.

Adult reaction

The program has been serving an average of 100 meals each week in recent months, and Mr. Gilchrist enjoys meeting other special individuals who donate their time and effort to the Friendship Table while also meeting guests' needs by feeding them each Wednesday.

"The only way you find the ones who need help is to go out there and help them. And you feel good," he said.

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