Dear Editor,

Some private schools never cease to amaze me. They love to give (albeit to worthwhile causes) but at the expense of parents rather than the school. Yesterday I received a letter from my daughter's Catholic school requesting that students give $1 a day, or $5 a week in aid of hurricane ravaged Dominica and the southern Bahamas (written in that order).

Additionally, parents have been asked to donate one or more items of non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, toiletries, new bedding and linen, depending on their child's grade level. Private schools never seem to take into consideration that perhaps, in this instance, some parents might have had relatives and friends who are hurricane victims and so they might have already emptied their cupboard and their wallets to this cause.

I hasten to add here that this very school now seeking donations is the same school which advised students at the beginning of the school year that their names would be called during assembly if parents were late with tuition. Who does that?! How embarrassing for the student, who does not pay his/her own tuition. The parent does. It's a conversation that should be had with the parents.

The school says the donated items will be packed and shipped by the archdiocese to the southern Bahamas on Friday. Let me unequivocally state, I wholeheartedly endorse the concept of giving. It's why I tithe and donate to worthwhile causes on my own (as in, without the school's interference).

Even as a divorced, single mother I recognize that my daughter and I are blessed. Thus, I cheerfully pluck names of underprivileged children from our church's Christmas tree. I bring items to donate to the church's pantry and for Thanksgiving; write personal checks to my own pet causes and always try to put a little something extra into the hands of at least one earnest college student headed back to university.

In short, I believe in paying it forward and not in asking others to pay it forward for me.

The Bible tells us that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. I give cheerfully when the giving is of my own volition and not when I am forced to by schools seeking to promote how charitable they are by giving away the limited, hard-earned dollars of their parents, as opposed to the school's own funds.

- TRB

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