“It’s called the friendship table and not a soup kitchen for a reason. We invite anyone and everyone to walk through those doors, and that’s how it’s been for 20 years.”
Since the doors have opened for the Friendship Table of Bradford, Barbara Shufran, chairperson of the facility, has been there with her sleeves rolled up ready to help cater to the needy.
“I remember the day I was asked to be a part (the Table),” Shufran said.
Shufran said she was a teacher for Head Start preschool students. While teaching, she would see some of the children come in without lunches or breakfast every so often, and she noticed a pattern.
“The parents weren’t able to provide meals every day for their children, and it was just heartbreaking,” Shufran said. “But I knew not to blame the parents; they needed as much help as the children did.”
That was when it was suggested she take part in a new program that would help families that were in need by joining the Friendship Table.
“I expected to only do it for a few weeks, but I fell in love with it. And now, it’s been 20 years,” Shufran said.
Saturday was the 20th anniversary celebration for the Friendship Table, and while it is usually closed on the weekend, the special occasion allowed for an exception.
The volunteers opened their doors to the public, inviting them to join in on celebrating serving more than 500,000 meals in 20 years.
Food was free to the public and was provided by Metz Culinary Management from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Many could be seen at the packed event, including Dr. Ron Binder, dean of Pitt-Bradford.
“We are so proud of the work the Table has done over the years,” Binder said. “We work with the volunteers here every year with our students giving a helping hand. We intend to keep it up.” Plaques were unveiled at the event recognizing a local foundation, an estate and a trust that each donated $10,000 to the Table.
Activities at the event included a PowerPoint video presentation on the history of the Table and an auction.
Kaycee Puller, a student at Pitt-Bradford, was seen at the event and mentioned that she was happy that the Table provided a variety of food options.
“I’m a vegetarian, and I was happy to see that there were options there for me,” Puller said.
Puller said she asked volunteers if the selection of food options was just for the anniversary, but she was surprised at the answer.
“They genuinely try to do that every day,” Puller said. “They really care about the people who walk through those doors, and try to cater to them as much as possible. It’s truly inspiring.”
The Friendship Table is open from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Volunteers are always appreciated and are welcome to assist. There is no charge for meals, but donations are accepted.
