March 2022: Giving to Others

Michael A. Marinelli, Ed.D. '76
Dear Friends,

Lent is a time of “almsgiving” - of giving to others who are less fortunate than ourselves as a sign of our love for one another. Giving alms to the poor can be accomplished with monetary contributions or donations of food, clothing, and other support. 

Last weekend, after two years of not being able to hold the event, the Archmere Garage Sale took place. Through the enthusiastic leadership of Mrs. Denise Bradley, parent of Alana ‘15 and Conor ‘21, who chaired the event for yet another year, and with the support of a wonderful cohort of parents of students, parents of alumni, students, alumni, and friends, the Garage Sale not only raised funds for Archmere’s programs, but it responded to a need in the greater Claymont community and beyond. It provided affordable clothing, housewares, furniture, books, children's toys, and much more to families in an accessible and dignified way. So much care was taken by the volunteers to sort through donations and make sure that what was being offered for sale was worthy of being purchased, and in some cases, donated. After the sale ended, the remaining items were donated to a number of local charities. This event, which seems to have always been scheduled during Lent, is a huge undertaking for the Archmere community. It truly is collective almsgiving, highlighting the extreme generosity of the members of our Archmere community, from those donating items, to those picking up furniture on weekends throughout the year, to those taking vacation days from their work and volunteering to organize, sort, price, sell, and breakdown two gyms packed with items, to those who prepare food to keep volunteers nourished and energized, to those behind the scenes organizing schedules, publicizing the event, along with their supporting family members.

Giving is such a personal activity. We choose to give of ourselves, our time, and our resources based on being moved by a cause or a need that strikes a chord within us. Perhaps it is a “pay it forward” response, an immediate call to action for an urgent need, or a response in gratitude or appreciation for something that happened to us or was done for us. Whatever the motivation, I believe that we also receive gifts when we give a gift - the gifts of joy and satisfaction when we see the positive impact we can make in others’ lives.

Many times it is easy for us to identify an obvious compelling need and respond to it instinctively with our own resources. In just one day earlier this month, our school community raised $5,000 to help the Ukrainian people by supporting the efforts of two Norbertine communities - one in Slovakia and another in Hungary. These two Abbeys, located short distances from the border of Ukraine,  have opened their doors to refugees. In addition, the priests in these communities, whom some of us have met and know personally, are risking their own lives by traveling to Ukraine to distribute food, clothing, housewares, and money to Ukrainians through the network of Ukrainian Catholic bishops. This support and our continued prayers for peace are tremendous signs of our faith in action.

Then there are other times when we have to hear a story or learn more about a situation or project before offering help. I ask you to consider Archmere’s story and the need to support the Archmere Fund. This annual fundraising effort in recent years has been providing between $500,000 and $600,000 to the operating budget; that translates to about $1,000 that would have to be added to each student’s tuition bill. We continue to be so grateful for all those who support this annual fundraising effort, but we hope that more people will consider making a gift appropriate to their financial ability. 

Over the many years I have worked at Archmere, I have heard some people say that Archmere is “well-off” and does not need my support or that they prefer to give to more pressing social needs, such as hunger and homelessness. I certainly can appreciate the need to support efforts to alleviate these needs; however, perhaps we are not explaining well enough the complete Archmere story - the fact that we do have families with significant unmet basic needs including food security, that our students and their families do “pay it forward” through all of the community service and outreach programs we support throughout the school year, and that our alumni are actively engaged in great humanitarian work. They are building fresh water wells and solar-powered energy grids in Africa, researching cures for cancer, founding viable businesses that enhance the environment, and ministering as teachers, first responders, and social workers. I would like to believe that many of them received a solid academic as well as spiritual foundation for their life’s work from their Archmere experiences. Many of these former students, like myself, were able to attend Archmere only with the help of a scholarship or financial assistance or both. Because of the opportunities Archmere afforded me, I want to “pay it forward” for the next generation of Auks.

I have also heard it said that some choose not to support the Archmere Fund because they (or their parents) paid full tuition, which subsidized others who received financial assistance. While it is true that endowment and annual gifts cannot cover all of the annual financial assistance needed it is central to our mission as an independent school, and more importantly, as a Catholic school, to ensure a socio-economically diverse school community of motivated and talented students who deserve the opportunity to have an excellent educational experience. Believing in the mission of a private Catholic school includes supporting the notion that those who have been blessed with much share some of what they have with those who have much less, or as Jesus said, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” (Luke 12:48).

Especially during this Lenten Season, I am incredibly grateful for the tremendous generosity of so many people. My prayer is that others will consider accepting God’s invitation to become “workers in the vineyard” (Matthew 20:1), joining the many who are already planting seeds of faith, hope, and charity in our communities and in our world through their generous gifts of time, talent, and treasure.

Happy Easter Season! 

Michael A. Marinelli, Ed.D. ‘76
Head of School
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Archmere Academy is a private, Catholic, college preparatory co-educational academy,
grades 9-12 founded in 1932 by the Norbertine Fathers.