Some people say that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Increasingly, however, a free lunch is exactly what our community is calling for. Joe Doriguzzi can testify to that increased need. He has spent the last 26 years serving in various positions at the Friendship Table in Bradford. Currently, he serves as manager.
Doriguzzi grew up in the local area and graduated from Bradford Area High School in 1966. Like many young people of his generation, Doriguzzi was called to serve his country. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and did a tour of Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. When he returned to McKean County, he knew that he wanted to find another way to connect with his community and give his life a sense of purpose.
“So many of those guys over there, they didn’t make it back. Those guys never got a chance,” Doriguzzi said. “I came home safe and sound so I figured that I would pay it forward.”
Doriguzzi found that opportunity in 1997, when The Friendship Table first opened its doors. The mission of the nonprofit is to fight community hunger and to serve those in need in a non-judgmental and compassionate way. One of the cooks, a friend of Doriguzzi, asked him to donate some time to the fledgling organization in 1997.
“I came to volunteer and just never left. I have spent 26 years in different positions, from assistant manager to board member and now manager,” Doriguzzi said.
For many years, Doriguzzi worked closely with Barb Shufran, who was manager there until her passing. He describes Shufran as one of his mentors and a personal inspiration.
“She taught me a lot of things about being compassionate and caring for the people who come here,” Doriguzzi said.
“The people we serve, they aren’t just ‘people in need’ — they are our neighbors. They are members of the community,” he added.
Over the years, Doriguzzi has seen that community increase in size.
“Ever since the pandemic, and inflation, we see a lot more people who need a hot meal,” Doriguzzi said.
“It isn’t just people on welfare. We get a lot of disabled and elderly people, a lot of single parents trying to make ends meet,” he added.
Each day, The Friendship Table staff serves 250 hot meals. In addition, they offer bagged lunches that people can take home with them for another meal. Last year, they served 78,085 meals, no questions asked. They hand out meals Monday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. at their location, 21 E. Corydon St. in Bradford.
“I think people don’t see that hunger is a problem in their local area until they start to look for it, then they realize how prevalent it is,” Doriguzzi said.
“I think about that phrase, ‘I am one person and I can’t do everything, but I am one person and I can do something,’ and that keeps me going,” he added.
Putting out that many meals is a lot of work, and Doriguzzi notes that it wouldn’t be possible to help so many people without his excellent staff of volunteers. The Friendship Table is funded entirely through donations.
“I do want to thank our community and our donors because without them we wouldn’t have been able to keep the lights on for the last 26 years,” Doriguzzi said. “Also, the people we have on our board helped make my job so much easier, and I appreciate their work.”
To learn more about how to donate to or get involved with the Friendship Table, visit their Facebook page, email them at bradfordfriendshiptable@gmail.com or call (814) 362-6658.
