Suzanne Quinn taught her children well

Most junior and senior boys are studying for the new SATs, waiting to hear from colleges, trying to find jobs, and maybe figuring out who they want  to take to the junior prom and the senior ball. Conor, and Sean Quinn, 16 and 18 respectively, are doing all these things plus one other pretty big activity: They’re in charge of putting together a pasta dinner for 50.

The dinner is for the residents at the Omni Senior Living Community in Guilderland on March 19. And for the last three to four months the brothers have done all the work.

They begin by contacting Community Caregivers who sponsor the dinner and prepare the letters the boys send out to vendors for raffle items, decoration materials, and the food: salads, rolls and butter, pasta with sauce, and desserts. Any furniture, silverware, trays, etc. come from Altamont Reformed Church where Greg Goutos, a longtime volunteer with Community Caregivers,  has connections

This year, four or five  students from the Guilderland High School Honor Society  will help serve. Tyler Mazone, clarinetist, has asked the boys if he can provide entertainment.

Conor says, “Tyler is a happy, upbeat person, full of enthusiasm. We like people like this — happy — to be a part of the event.

The boys’ mom, Suzanne Quinn, says her sons have been in charge for the last two to three years, and she’s very proud of that fact.

As Conor reflects on the work they do, he says some parts are hard. “Lots of businesses give to a lot of organizations. They don’t all say, ‘Yes, we’d love to help.’ We do what we have to do.

But, he says he isn’t discouraged. Sean explained that the day before the dinner the tables and chairs, table settings, decorations — all the physical stuff — are dealt with.  The day-of, they spend time getting the food and getting it heated. And, yes, Mom makes meatballs and extra sauce.

What do these guys do for work and fun and what are their future plans? Sean does odd jobs such as walking dogs and mowing lawns. And, he’s a scuba diver. Two years ago, he went to Bali and, aside from diving, he also taught kids English for three weeks in July. As a senior, he’s waiting to hear from colleges and is interested in history.

“History has always fascinated me,” he said. He wants to make history “usable, applicable. Why does this matter?”

Conor does a lot of volunteer work. At Whispering Willows Wild Care, he helps animals get back into the wild. He mentioned hawks, owls, and kestrels as a few of the creatures the organization has rehabbed. But he’ll do anything there like providing water, cleaning cages, talking to them.

“I love to bond,” he adds.

Since he was 15, he’s volunteered  at Homeward Bound in Schenectady. This place helps dogs get adopted, and he does whatever they ask him to do.  Right now, he’s hoping to get his real first time job at a doggie day-care business. And you guessed it, for his future he’s looking at a career dealing with animals.

When the boys began their connection with this dinner, they were  “unofficial mascots.” They went around hugging people and being cute. As they grew older, they talked with the residents and listened to their stories.

Sean says, “I’ve always loved storytelling because it’s entertaining and a good way to connect with people.”

As the years went on and he got to know the people, he realized the residents were part of his community and also his friends

“It feels good.” And he concludes, “Satisfaction comes from helping people.”

Conor says now that they’re older, one of the responsibilities he and his brother take on is seeing that the Omni  residents are comfortably seated. Some are in wheelchairs so the boys help them get situated.

He says, “We try to make sure everyone is comfortable and well fed.” As with the animals he works with, Conor likes to bond with people, too. “I like to  help people and make them smile.”

Community Caregivers has been fortunate to have this family as volunteers. With Sean off to college next year, he can’t predict  his involvement with the dinner. What we can predict is these two guys will move through life with some pretty strong volunteering skills and love of helping their neighbors.  Mom has taught her sons well.