A Chance In Life 2018-19 Annual Report

Boys' & Girls' Towns of Italy | Ethiopia | India | Latin America

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 - 2019

Table of Contents A Note from the President ..…………………………………………………..…….. 3 Our Story ..………………………………………………………………………………….... 5 Self-Government …………………………..………………………………………........ 7 Boys' & Girls' Towns of Italy …………………………………………......…......... 9 Boys' & Girls' Towns of Ethiopia ………………………………………..……...... 11 Boys' & Girls' Towns of India ………………………………………………………… 13 Boys' & Girls' Towns of Latin America ……………………………………........ 15 Our Impact ………………………………………………...…………………………........ 16 Meet Our Citizens………………………………………………………………….……... 17 News and Media ............................................................................... 19 Supporting Our Work …………………………………………………………………… 21 Financials ………………………………………………......…………………………....... 23 Memorable Events of the Year …………………………………………..………… 24 Board and Team Members ……………………………………………………..…... 25

A Note from our President “I’d like to introduce you to someone special,” said Fr. Habte, Program Director in Ethiopia. “Fikre is 12 years old and one of our top students,” he added while gently guiding a shy young woman towards our group of donors.

Only a few months earlier, she had lost her father, an agronomist working for Fr. Habte, in a tragic car accident. Fr. Habte told us with tears on his face how Fikre’s father was bedridden in a hospital for several weeks before he finally surrendered to his injuries and passed away. In his final hours, he summoned Fr. Habte and begged him to take care of his two children and wife, who was battling breast cancer.

Soon after his death, Fikre’s family lost their house because they could not afford the rent. Fr. Habte received a plot of land as a donation, and asked A Chance In Life if we could help build a home for Fikre, her brother and her mother. In no time, donors like you raised the money needed to restore hope to Fikre’s family.

Even after returning home to New York City, we continued receiving news of how the family’s new home had changed their lives. Fikre continues in the 8th grade as a citizen of Boys’ & Girls’ Towns of Ethiopia, and her mother has a peaceful place to rest as she continues her fight against breast cancer. Fikre’s brother, who is autistic, has the structure and security he needs to feel safe and happy.

I am so proud of A Chance In Life’s family. Your commitment enables us to be an organization with both the heart to change the life of a single child, and the capacity to help entire communities flourish. Fikre is one of over 3,000 children receiving a chance in life this year at our Towns in Italy, Ethiopia, India and Latin America.

Next year will mark 75 years of serving at-risk youth, an achievement your generosity has made possible.

Let’s celebrate the legacy of our visionary founder Msgr. John Patrick Carroll-Abbing with this important milestone. And let’s not forget what he said … "Until every child is free from hunger and suffering, we have no right to stop." On behalf of all of our citizens around the world - thank you!

Gabriele Delmonaco President/Executive Director

3

August 13, 1945 Monsignor Carroll-Abbing and Father Rivolta open The Boys' Republic in Civitavecchia to provide a chance in life to the orphans of World War II.

June 4, 1951 The Certificate of Incorporation of a new American charitable agency called "Boys' Towns of Italy, Inc." is filed.

October 6, 1953 The first stone is placed at Boys' Town of Italy, a town run by children located on the outskirts of Rome.

January 15, 1957 A villa near Rome is donated by actress Linda Darnell and Girls' Town of Italy opens its doors.

June 4, 1987 Monsignor is named an honorary citizen of Rome. He was the third non-Italian to receive this honor, following Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

February 11, 1988 Our visionary founder, Monsignor Carroll-Abbing, is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with at-risk children.

July 9, 2001 Monsignor Carroll-Abbing passes away surrounded by his beloved "citizens" of Boys' and Girls' Towns of Italy.

June 16, 2015 Boys' & Girls' Towns of Ethiopia is created to address the needs of children in one of the poorest countries in the world.

October 5, 2015 Our organization assumes the new name of "A Chance In Life" to honor the vision of our founder and reflect our international expansion.

June 7, 2016 Boys' & Girls' Towns of India is founded, supporting 1,000 extremely poor or orphaned children.

April 27, 2018 A Chance In Life collaborates with the Italian Permanent Mission to the United Nations to host an international panel discussion at the UN.

June 12, 2018 Our board approves an expansion to Latin America where A Chance In Life will impact the lives of 1,700 kids.

Our Story In 1945, Monsignor John Patrick Carroll-Abbing founded Boys' & Girls' Towns of Italy in Rome and in Civitavecchia to provide "a chance in life" to the homeless children living on the streets of post-World War II Italy. He believed that if young people were supported to take responsibility for their lives and their communities, they would grow into caring, self-sufficient adults. Self-government has been the source of success at our Towns for over 70 years.

Today in our Towns in Italy, we empower poor, refugee and migrant youth. These children have escaped war, poverty and persecution and now live together and run their own Towns. In the last four years, A Chance In Life expanded its programs to South Asia, Northeast Africa and Latin America. Boys’ & Girls’ Towns of Ethiopia is changing the lives of 400 young people in one of the poorest countries in the world. Boys' & Girls' Towns of India is helping over 1,000 children, mostly girls, receive the support they need to stay in school. Last year, our Board approved the expansion of our programs to support more than 1,700 marginalized children in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Guatemala.

5

Self-Government Self-government has been the source of success at our Towns for 74 years. It is the essence of life in the Towns and provides the citizens, as the young people are called, with the skills, confidence and creativity to become active participants in their communities.

Monsignor Carroll-Abbing’s approach to human development was simple yet powerful: if young people are supported to take responsibility for their lives and their communities, they will grow into caring, self-sufficient adults.

While the approach takes shape differently in each Town, self-government gives young people the opportunity to have a voice in creating their future. By meeting regularly, writing their own by-laws, electing their own leaders and deciding their own agendas, our young people develop self-esteem and mutual respect. Throughout the years in their Town they know that they are trusted, that their dignity is respected and that their capabilities are encouraged.

7

4 million refugee children are out of school.

Our Towns provide academic tutoring and psychological support to help our citizens adjust to school in their new country.

Boys' & Girls' Towns of Italy Boys' & Girls' Towns of Italy is composed of two communities of self-governed young people. Both La Città dei Ragazzi (Rome) and La Repubblica dei Ragazzi (Civitavecchia) were founded by Monsignor John Patrick Carroll-Abbing after World War II. The youth of the Towns come from over 20 different countries escaping violence, poverty and injustice. The Towns' success lies in the innovative model of self-government where the children take responsibility for running their own communities.

At the Towns, the young people relate to one another as citizens. Each citizen is encouraged and supported to become an active and creative participant in his or her community. The children attend local schools, study in a European Union recognized vocational training program and are exposed to a variety of cultural and educational experiences. Boys’ & Girls’ Towns of Italy have given a chance in life to over 32,000 children.

9

Nearly 50% of Ethiopian girls who start school will drop out before finishing the fifth grade.

Our Towns ensure our children have the support they need to succeed in school.

Boys' & Girls' Towns of Ethiopia Boys’ & Girls’ Towns of Ethiopia builds on the solid foundation of the work done in Italy over the past 70 years. Throughout the last decade, many young people arriving at our Towns in Italy were from Northeastern Africa. In 2015, A Chance In Life inaugurated Boys’ & Girls’ Towns of Ethiopia to open up new possibilities for children in one of the poorest countries of the world. A Chance In Life is working with the young and dynamic Diocese of Emdibir to support the lives of 400 children through three different programs.

The first program gives 100 girls access to education by providing homes close to the local high school. Boys' & Girls' Towns of Ethiopia also supports 100 young people living with disabilities and 200 orphans and vulnerable children. At bimonthly meetings, each group comes together to share their challenges and to encourage one another to actively build a hopeful future.

11

India has the highest absolute number of child brides in the world. Girls with a secondary education are times less likely to marry as children.

6

Through vocational training and academic support, our Towns prepare our citizens for employment or college.

Boys' & Girls' Towns of India In October 2016, we inaugurated Boys’ & Girls’ Towns of India to provide a chance in life to over 1,000 extremely poor girls and boys living in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Located on the south coast of India, these states are densely populated and culturally diverse.

They are also home to many tribal communities, most of which live well below the poverty line. Many children in these communities do not have basic necessities or access to education. Often, they are enrolled in programs for a better life.

Boys' & Girls' Towns of India supports twelve of these programs. The young men and women of our Towns in India are given a home, an education and the opportunity to develop as self-confident and responsible members of their communities through selfgovernment.

13

Latin America has the second-highest teen pregnancy rate in the world. If all women completed secondary education, early births could fall by as much as 59% .

Our Towns provide our young people with the support they need to stay in school.

Boys' & Girls' Towns of Latin America On June 12, 2018, the Board of Directors of A Chance In Life approved the expansion of our programs in Latin America. Our global organization continues to provide a chance in life to at-risk youth throughout the world. In the past four years, the vision of our founder has reached six more countries, serving children living on the margins of our society.

Boys' & Girls' Towns of Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Guatemala is changing the lives of over 1,700 children coming from backgrounds of extreme poverty. In collaboration with the Christian Brothers and the Missionaries of the Divine Redemption, A Chance In Life supports ten homes for children in need across these four countries.

Young people in Central and South America, particularly those in rural areas, face a host of obstacles to completing school and building their own future. A Chance In Life works to remove those obstacles and provide the resources our children need to succeed.

15

Our Impact 74 years ago, our first Town was founded to support thousands of war orphans living on the streets of Italy. Since then, we have expanded to 4 continents to serve youth in some of the poorest regions in the world.

Our founder once said, "Until every child is free from hunger and suffering, we have no right to stop." A Chance In Life continues this legacy by providing a chance in life to over 3,000 at-risk youth each year.

32,000 at-risk youth have escaped violence, poverty and persecution to find a safe home at our Towns in Italy.

1,000 orphans and tribal children in India are in school and becoming caring leaders in their communities.

400 children in Ethiopia have access to food, shelter, an education and the support they need to thrive.

1,700 marginalized children are supported by our programs in Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala and Peru.

Meet Our Citizens

Giulia, Boys' & Girls' Towns of Italy "When I was 13 years old, my mother put me on a bus from Romania to Italy. I didn't know anybody and I had no place to go. Here I found a new home, where the program staff help us solve our problems and communicate with us, just like parents would do. When I'm older, I want to use my art skills as an architect or set designer in Italy."

Hiwot, Boys' & Girls' Towns of Ethiopia "I wanted to stay in school because I didn't want to carry the shame women in my country feel when they don't know how to read or write. I wanted to know and understand things the way my educated brothers do. Now I am graduating from high school and preparing to attend university!"

Soniya, Boys' & Girls' Towns of India "My parents struggled to find work every day, and couldn't afford to send me to school. Even if we had the money, our village was too far from the nearest school to walk there safely. Now I am in the eighth grade and want to become a nurse."

Josué, Boys' & Girls' Towns of Guatemala "My father left when I was a baby, and my mother struggles to support both of us. She sent me here to make sure I finished school and had enough food to eat. I like studying Spanish and playing with my friends."

News and Media If you would like to hear more about the work of A Chance In Life, there is no need to wait for an annual report! A constant stream of news and stories from our Towns and supporters is available through: Quarterly Newsletters Monthly Email Notes from our President Social Media Channels A Chance In Life's Blog achanceinlife.org office@achanceinlife.org @achanceinlife facebook.com/achanceinlife

19

Supporting Our Work Your Gifts …

Provide the backbone of support for our programs in Italy, Ethiopia, India and Latin America.

Provide funding for expansion of the approach developed by our founder, in order to impact the lives of hundreds more at-risk youth around the world Whether your support takes the form of an outright gift or a planned gift, there are a number of flexible options for your charitable goals and financial circumstances. Gifts are tax deductible.

Online giving is a quick and easy way to make your contribution. You may make a gift online at achanceinlife.org.

Many employers will give matching gifts to match charitable donations made by their employees. Donors can double their gift when matched by their employer’s gift program. Check with your human resources department to see if your company matches charitable gifts.

Gifts of appreciated stock often provide the donor with substantial tax savings. Please contact the Development Team for instructions for the transfer of stock.

A Planned Gift helps ensure the future of our work through gifts of cash or securities. They include gifts stipulated in a will, or beneficiary designations of life insurance policies or other assets such as IRAs. A planned gift allows you to arrange your assets to benefit you, your loved ones and A Chance In Life’s mission now and in the future.

The Sponsorship Program is our monthly giving program. Donors sponsor a child with an ongoing monthly commitment of $30 per month. You are connected with a child from one of our Towns in Italy, Ethiopia or India.

An Honor or Memorial Gift can mark a special occasion or be given to remember or honor a beloved family member or friend. We will send your honoree or their family a letter acknowledging your generosity.

For more information please contact us at office@achanceinlife.org or 212-980-8770

21

Financials

Programs: 83.09% General Management: 8.88% 8.8%

Fundraising: 7.18% Our complete financial statements with the report of our independent auditors, Daszkowski, Tompkins, Weg & Carbonella CPA PC, are available upon request. Your contributions to A Chance In Life are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

8.8%

82.4%

23

Memorable Events of the Year NEW YORK ANNUAL GALA Top: Guy Chiarello (President of First Data) was presented with our Man of the Year award by Italy's Consul General Francesco Genuardi and Gala Chair Tim Tynan (CEO of Bank of America Merchant Services).

Left: Sal Cucchiara (CIO & Head of Wealth Management Technology for Morgan Stanley) gave a stirring speech after being named our A Chance In Life Award Recipient.

Right: Kassy Kebede (Founder and Managing Partner of Cepheus Growth Capital Partners), pictured with Father Teshome Fikre (National Program Director of Boys' & Girls' Towns of Ethiopia), accepted the Global Citizenship Award.

On April 30, our three incredible honorees broke all previous records to raise over $1 million for our young people!

WINE & SPIRITS DINNER

SAN FRANCISCO BALL OF THE YEAR

Jason Glasser, CEO of Beverage Media Group, and Aldo Bozzi, Owner of Mezzaluna Restaurant, were named A Chance In Life's Men of the Year at the Wine & Spirits Annual International Dinner.

On May 11, San Francisco Man of the Year Sergio Nibbi was presented his award by Gabriele Delmonaco (President of A Chance In Life) and his brother, Larry Nibbi (Vice Chairman of A Chance In Life).

On December 4, restauranteurs and leaders from the wine and spirits industry filled the New York Athletic Club to celebrate our honorees and raise support for the children of A Chance In Life.

Sergio and Larry have both attended the San Francisco Ball of the Year for over fifty years. This year they helped raise over $420,000 to continue our founder Monsignor CarrollAbbing's legacy of caring for at-risk youth.

Our Board and Team BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TEAM MEMBERS

Mr. Mauro Romita Chairman

Gabriele Delmonaco President/Executive Director

Mr. Lawrence Nibbi Vice Chair

Sung Ioffredo Vice President

Mr. Robert M. Iommazzo Vice Chair

Alex Guyton Director of Communications

Ms. Emilie Puzio Secretary

Martina Siniscalco Donor Relations Manager, West Coast

Mr. Stephen Bellini Treasurer

Loziana Vejuka Office Manager

Mrs. Kate Bullis

Caroline Ziccardi Development Assistant

Mr. Eugene Ceccotti Mr. Gabriele Delmonaco Mr. Vincent Fyfe Mr. Herman Hochberg Mrs. Jeanine Margiano Mr. Roy Van Pelt Mrs. Beth Woldesemayiat H. E. Card. Giuseppe Versaldi Prefect Congr. Catholic Education (Honorary Member)

25

A Chance In Life 250 E 63rd St., Ste. 204 New York, NY 10065 achanceinlife.org