Lenten Almsgiving – Preparing in Mind and Deed

Tammy Marino of Unbound shares how giving, and reflecting on those gifts, helps us to prepare for the Easter celebration.

So many think of Lent solely as a 40-day period in which we must give up something: social media, sweets, or meat. And of course, these sacrifices are meant to give us time and a sense of inner reflection that will allow us to grow closer to God through prayer.

While Lent does indeed highlight fasting and prayer, the third pillar so many forget about is almsgiving. Why is donating money, food or services to those in need an important thread of the fabric of Lent and our daily faith lives? Much like prayer and fasting, giving is another way to deepen one’s relationship with God. We learn in 1 John 3:17: “If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?”

Through the Eyes of a Sponsor

At Unbound, sponsors embrace the blessings that come with an everyday commitment to almsgiving. Sponsoring a child or elder means making a real, direct impact by partnering with a friend in need, creating meaningful connections through letters and photos, and walking together on a journey to transform lives.

Paul and Lanet Mordini have been Unbound sponsors for well over a decade. Hailing from Eagle River, Alaska, the couple currently sponsors three children: one in Guatemala, one in Kenya and one in El Salvador, where they recently visited on an Unbound Awareness Trip. Unbound offers sponsors and non-sponsors alike opportunities to witness the impact of Unbound’s work while meeting sponsored friends and experiencing the beauty of another culture.

“Being in El Salvador and actually seeing the impact of our support firsthand was an incredible experience,” Paul said. “We always feel good about sending our monthly cash contributions — particularly during the Lenten season when we reflect on how blessed we are to be able to give to others. But witnessing the support trickle from child to family to school to community truly let us know that we are making a real difference.”

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Through the Eyes of a Child

One special family — the Leyvas — truly embodies the spirit of almsgiving. Tim and Maribel Leyva have been Unbound supporters for 22 years. They have always found sponsorship to be a rewarding and meaningful experience. Recently, they were blessed to have the opportunity to join an Unbound Awareness Trip to travel to El Salvador with their 10-year-old daughter, Ariana.

The family cherished the entire “life-changing experience” of spending a week in El Salvador, seeing firsthand the impact their contributions have on the families and community and having the opportunity to meet two of their sponsored children in person.

“From the moment we arrived till the last day there we felt the love, gratitude and happiness,” said Maribel. “Ariana’s birthday was also that week, which made it even that more special for us. We couldn’t have imagined the love and warmth our group showed to us and our daughter with special birthday celebrations. We are so grateful for all the wonderful people and support from our Unbound family.”

Ariana enjoyed spending time with and getting to know two of the children her family supports and corresponds with.

“I like giving because I like to help people,” said Ariana. “It is nice to do that, and God commands us to help others. I also like to pray for others because when you tell them you are praying for them, it puts a smile on their faces, and it tells them you care about them.”

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This year, as we all go through our daily habits looking for what we can sacrifice to strengthen our relationship with God and better prepare for Easter, consider taking time to reflect on how almsgiving can enrich our faith lives. After all, as Pope Francis said:

God knows the sufferings of his children because he is an attentive and caring father. As a father, he takes care of those who are most in need: the poor, the marginalized, the suffering and the forgotten. No one is excluded from his heart, for in his eyes, we are all poor and needy. (Eighth World Day of the Poor, November 17, 2024)

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