If you thought you had to be at least voting age to participate in Stewardship, talk to Allie Foss or any of her teenage friends who already participate. Allie herself - who turns 17 in September and will be a senior at Middletown High School (MHS) - is a Eucharistic minister at St. Lucy and is on the core team for youth ministry. She dots her conversation with names of other students who participate with her.

Allie credits her sister Katie (20, now a student at Plymouth State in New Hampshire) with encouraging her to join youth ministry. And Allie and friend and Confirmation classmate Alan Munkacsy volunteered together to be Eucharistic ministers. Now a couple of times a month Allie distributes communion at 7pm Sunday Mass. "The other ministers treat us like adults," she says.

Her mother, Liz Bollard, says volunteering is a "family affair." Allie’s stepfather John Bollard taught a class for youth ministry leaders. Liz taught religious education for 7^th and 8^th grade students. Brother Chris (15, confirmed in May) is also on the core team for youth ministry. Older sister Katie also was involved in youth ministry.

Allie’s volunteer activities don’t end at church. She is also active in school. She serves on the school paper. She is a cheerleader - including the competition cheerleading squad. She is on the MHS Student Council. She belongs to "Best Buddies" - an organization that teams MHS students with MHS students in special ed. She has written for the MHS school paper and this year will be an editor. Through it all she has maintained a 3.3 average. Allie hopes to major in special ed in college and eventually become a special ed teacher - thanks in large part to her participation in "Best Buddies."

Allie has been a cheerleader since 5^th grade, but her most memorable cheerleading moment does not involve a particularly thrilling game, nor is it the 2004 RI State Cheerleading Championship they won. "This year," Allie says, "there was a conflict." MHS was scheduled to play in the RI state basketball finals the same night as the cheerleading championship. The cheerleading competition team voted to put school loyalty ahead of their own quest for a trophy: they voted to cheer the school in the basketball finals. "Then at halftime we put on what would have been our competition routine," says Allie. "Everything just clicked. It was awesome." Of course there were no judges present, and no trophy, but fans felt the cheerleaders were winners.

The core team for youth ministry plans retreats and events for students. Retreats are the 7th-8th grade retreat and the Confirmation (10^th grade) retreat. Not only does the core team plan them, but the core team gives the talks, says youth ministry leader Marie Lachapelle, who facilitates only where needed. "They’re more likely to listen to another teen than an adult," says Marie. Recently Allie spoke to the confirmation class about obstacles we face in life, about trying to find ourselves, how our faith supports us. "Youth ministry has helped me become who I am," says Allie. "It’s helped me realize how important it is to spend time helping other kids learn their faith."

Youth ministry events? The August 11 trip to Six Flags is one; a ski trip; a camping trip. Then there are lock-ins: teens sign up sponsors, then compete to stay awake throughout the 12-hour marathon of games and movies. Proceeds are given to a charity - most recently to the Martin Luther King Center.