Stevi students make tradition of Thanksgiving volunteer work

The cup wasn't full and Sean Lockrem explained:

"That way she won't be as likely to spill it," he said.

Tina Allison, Parris' mother, thanked Lockrem and shuffled Parris and her sister, Makayla, toward the door.

They were smiling, full and thankful.

"Now I can just go home and be with the kids for the rest of the day," said Allison, a Missoula area single mother.

They had just finished a free Thanksgiving Day meal at 4B's restaurant on North Reserve Street in Missoula. The meal has been a tradition in Missoula for around 20 years. For the last ten years, students from Stevensville High School have been showing up to help serve.

Lockrem is a sophomore at the University of Montana, but he graduated from Stevensville and the dinner has become a tradition for him now.

"It's something I feel I can give back to the community," he said.

Thanksgiving Day found more than 20 high school students from Stevensville in the restaurant in white aprons helping serve the free meal.

There was the "hairnet brigade" washing dishes and singing in the kitchen. There were girls in white aprons bussing tables, serving dinner and cutting pumpkin pie. There was laughter, smiles and hugs and that was just from the volunteers.

Around the table were some of Missoula's less fortunate.

Many came by way of the free Mountain Line bus service, others showed up on their own. Some came with families. Some ate alone. But no one walked away hungry.

For some it was their first time at the event. For other's it has become a family tradition.

The McNultys from Stevensville were there again. Patrick was back for the holiday from Notre Dame and Katie is a senior at Stevensville.

"I just feel strongly about doing this," said Maureen McNulty, Katie and Patrick's mother.

They started coming as a family three years ago, but missed the event the Thanksgiving after Katie and Patrick's father died. But they didn't want to give it up, said Maureen.

"As my mom would say," smiled Katie. "It's through giving that we receive."

All three spent the busy morning waiting on people. Patrick filled coffee mugs and water glasses, Katie handed out pumpkin pie and Maureen seemed to show up whenever there was a need, whether it be another plate of food or a little extra whipped cream.

"The smiles are what do it for me," said Katie, "It just melts your heart."

The meal is put on by the Good Fellows group in Missoula. Bill Hainline Sr. started he group 47 years ago. Hainline also founded 4B's restaurant, said Good Fellow Don Hege, president of Rocky Mountain Gourmet Steaks in Missoula. The Good Fellows do charitable work all around Missoula, he said Thursday, while serving dinners.

Joyce Klingler, a math teacher at Stevensville High School, began organizing the Stevensville volunteers 10 years ago. Thursday, the Stevensville group was joined by several volunteers from Missoula as well. For most of the morning volunteers outnumbered patrons.

"It's good for our students to see the need is out there," said Klingler.

Each year she hopes to take 15 student volunteers, but generally she ends up taking more.

Jim Notaro, principal at Stevensville High School, has a motto copied from the movie "Pay it Forward" and the students have really bought into the idea.

"We encourage it and then take the lead," he said Thursday during a break in the action. "We just kind of hang on."

Like Patrick McNulty and Sean Lockrem, some students continue volunteering even after they graduate.

Heather Bardsley, a junior at Stevensville, brought her whole family: two brothers, a sister, a sister-in-law and a soon to be sister-in-law, plus her parents, Glenda and Roger.

Heather is the youngest and her three siblings all volunteered at the dinner when they were in school, said Roger Bardsley. This is the first year the whole family showed, but he thinks it will become the tradition.

"It just puts a good spirit into your family," he said.

It may be surprising to some to see more high school kids volunteering than actual people eating, said Klingler, but it doesn't surprise her.

"They care, our kids really do care when given an opportunity to care," she said.

Notaro isn't surprised either.

Often what people hear about is the minority of kids who break the law or cause problems, he said. You hear less about kids like those who spent Thanksgiving Day serving meals to people less fortunate.

"These things don't get noticed much," he said.

And the reason is, the volunteers are doing it for the right reasons. They're not doing it for recognition, said Notaro.

"They're self-motivated, it isn't anything I'm doing." he said. "Doing the right thing is very important and that's contagious."

But what was contagious Thursday were smiles and thankfulness. Many people who may not have had a hot meal and someone to share it with got fed. And several more high school students were thankful again for their own blessings.

In a touching moment during the hustle of the morning, the three McNultys paused for a moment and Maureen put her arms around her two kids.

"I don't think you realize what you truly have until you see this," Katie said.