Chris Kenny likes to say his involvement with Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Wilmington has lasted a lifetime.
“From birth, I have been involved with Catholic Social Services, the forerunner of Catholic Charities,” said Kenny, the president and chief executive officer of the Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware, and the owner of Delaware Live, an online news site that is marking its fifth year in 2025.
He said his mother, Peg, and father, Bernard, were foster parents for Catholic Charities for more than half a century and took in more than 115 children under the age of 1. The couple adopted Kenny and his biological sister.
In addition to being a businessman, Kenny is also a philanthropist who has thrown his support and that of his family’s foundation behind many organizations and projects in the community. He will be honored with the Msgr. Thomas J. Reese Award at Catholic Charities’ annual dinner on May 14 at the Hotel Dupont in Wilmington.
Kenny, who turns 49 in June, has worked in management with Kenny Family ShopRites since graduating from law school in 2002. From observing his father and his uncle, Richard, it became clear that the two of them had a deep relationship with the community, including Catholic Charities and other faith-based organizations. Kenny said he learned a lot from them, “especially never to say ‘no.’ That’s really how we’ve operated as a family. We always find a way to get to ‘yes.’”
When a request comes in, the foundation does what it can. That doesn’t mean the support is always 100 percent of what is requested, but “the answer’s never no.”
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Kenny said the foundation has helped the Catholic Schools Office, the bishop’s office, individual schools and parishes and other entities, such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He used to work with the late Paul Collins, who spent 47 years with the society in a variety of roles.
The foundation donates food to the Jeanne Jugan Residence in Newark, which is operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor. In addition, the Food Bank of Delaware is a primary beneficiary.
“If you’re smart, and if you give, you will receive. It doesn’t have to be equal. It will come back in ways that you can never imagine,” he said.
Until he met with Bishop Koenig, Kenny said he had never heard of the Msgr. Reese Award. The late priest was a noted community activist and longtime director of Catholic Social Services. He died in 1989.
The award recognizes “exemplary individuals who live out their faith by serving others, especially the vulnerable,” according to Catholic Charities. “By receiving this award, Christopher L. Kenny joins a distinguished list of past honorees who have shown extraordinary leadership in caring for those on the margins of society.”
Bishop Koenig will present Kenny with the award.
“Christopher Kenny truly embodies the spirit of this award,” the bishop said in a news release. “His unwavering commitment to our community and his genuine spirit of servant leadership demonstrates what it means to put faith into action. Chris has always reached out to those on the margins with compassion and humility. We are grateful for his witness to love of neighbor, and we are delighted to honor him for the hope he inspires in others.”
Kenny is honored to receive the award but noted that he is not motivated by recognition.
“When the bishop asked me to go to lunch, I thought I had done something wrong. This was definitely a shock,” he said. “We don’t do these things for rewards. We do them as a part of the way we are as a family and as a business.”
Kenny stressed that although his name is on the award, he must share the credit with his father, uncle and sister, Melissa, who is the executive vice president of Kenny Family ShopRites and president of the board of the foundation.
“This is the four of us receiving this award,” he said.
Kenny described his background as “colorful” and said his father — who died in 2023 — fired him three times from the family business. Bernie Kenny hired his son back all three times. Therefore, he has a strong commitment to second chances. Anyone fired from one of the grocery stores may reapply after a year. Kenny also has spoken at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution and the Ferris School, operated by the state of Delaware for juvenile offenders. He said he has been to some of the worst motels and housing to find people who needed work.
Not everyone who makes mistakes in life continues to make them, he said. One can survive and move past that.
“I feel that the story of redemption is meaningful and impactful,” he said.
Kenny has four children. Two are adults who attended Our Lady of Fatima School in New Castle. The younger ones are at St. Ann School in Wilmington. He likes to spend his down time with them and his wife, Teresa.
Every day, he said, he feels lucky because he can help someone else and not say no.
“You really end up receiving by giving. I feel strongly that the more you give, the more you receive.”
