Despite these times of tension and uncertainty, there is still much to be thankful for. If the pandemic has made anything suddenly and abundantly clear, it’s the importance of family, community and compassion for one another. In all of my endeavors, I embrace every opportunity I can to give back to the community, from fostering partnerships between our stores and local nonprofits to the charity efforts of the Kenny Family Foundation, and from founding our pro-growth, pro-business advocacy group, A Better Delaware to launching Delaware Live, the first state-wide locally owned news network focused exclusively on Delaware issues.
None of it would have been possible without my parents, however. Bernie and Peg exhibited a rare and extraordinary inclination to give their all for the good of the cause. From the day they took me and my siblings into their lives at a young and vulnerable age, to sustaining us throughout our academic careers, they were true examples of unconditional love and support. I like to compare the boundless nature of their giving to that of the Horn of Plenty, in that where there is room for nourishment, they will oblige.
My parents’ love didn’t start nor end with us, either. Over the last 45 years, I’ve seen my mother foster over 100 newborns (and counting), and witnessed first-hand all of the responsibility each one entails. As I recount with more depth in my blog post, Adoption, Foster Care and Selfless Service, many come from difficult circumstances, requiring specific accommodation as they recover from severe neglect and abuse, some starting even from the womb. Peg has a special place in her heart for each and every one, with a compassion for children that began in her early adolescent days. While she always remained humble in recalling her past, my sister and I would hear stories of our mother volunteering at a local convent, helping the “sisters” care for the orphans by her own initiative. This early calling for caretaking translated into her lifelong selfless undertaking of opening her home to foster children, which ultimately gave my sister and I the opportunity to flourish into the people we are today.
My father’s story rings a similar bell as my mother’s. Bernie was never a stranger to hard, manual labor, dropping out of high school to work odd jobs at butcher shops, supermarkets, and the likes to help his parents hold the fort down. Upon learning the ways of providing for his loved ones at an early age, this sense of duty would eventually lead him to enlist in the military when he was 18, all the while sending every last penny of compensation home to his family. Growing up a hard worker with nothing handed to him, Bernie was able to extend compassion and generosity to associates and customers when he founded Delaware Supermarkets Inc. in 1995. Sharing a kinship with his fellow workers, he never hesitates to offer his resources in any way he can, whether it be covering funeral expenses for employees who couldn’t afford to bury a loved one, or handing associates cash right out of his pockets. It is these pure acts of kindness that demonstrate what it means to truly give without expectation of reparation.
Our family carries the “Horn of Plenty” mindset of giving—that is, never saying no at the opportunity to help those in need—throughout all of endeavors in both business and through our family’s foundation. There are countless instances when we stepped in as employer to help our associates in times of need when they needed it the most: house fires, floods and funerals and medical issues to name a few. We feel a responsibility to take care of our own, and that’s what we do.
Throughout the years the Kenny Family Foundation has been honored to contribute to the community by way of traditional charity fundraisers and events including food and toy drives, Thanksgiving turkey giveaways, gift card assistance programs for the holidays and free dinners for many micro charities and groups that would not otherwise receive any support. Some of the work we’ve done that I am most proud of are those opportunities where we get to do truly special things with the community. I will always remember catering the Delaware National Guard’s Holiday Party and how great it felt to be able to help the families of those in service in Delaware for the holidays.
As 2020, a year that has proven difficult for the world over, comes to a close, the holidays bring a much-welcomed opportunity for reflection and rejoice. This Thanksgiving, I choose to acknowledge the value of giving my parents instilled in my core being and know it’s one that will remain with me in every path I pursue.