Our Story & Our Evolution

OOur mission began 76 years ago, in the aftermath of World War II. Vast numbers of orphans and vulnerable children were left living on the streets of Italy by the war, and Monsignor John Patrick Carroll-Abbing’s decision to dedicate himself to their wellbeing defined the course of his life’s work and founded what would become A Chance In Life.

From their founding in 1945 to present day, Boys’ & Girls’ Republic of Italy (La Repubblica dei Ragazzi) and Boys’ & Girls’ Towns of Italy (La Città dei Ragazzi) have provided “a chance in life” to vulnerable and orphaned children. As Europe began to heal from the horrors of WWII, children from other countries experiencing conflict or strife fled to Italy seeking asylum and a chance for a better life. Our Towns in Italy became a home for children from over twenty different countries, many of them arriving as unaccompanied refugees and migrants.

In 2015, after 70 years of serving at-risk youth in Rome, A Chance In Life began looking for ways to serve young people in need outside of Italy and advance the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were adopted that year by all UN Member States. Over the decades, many young men and women had come to our Towns from Ethiopia, fleeing civil unrest and years of famine. A Chance In Life’s Board made the decision to begin supporting programs in a rural region of Ethiopia to provide education and vocational training to vulnerable youth in the area Boys’ & Girls’ Towns of Ethiopia was founded in 2015, marking the beginning of A Chance In Life’s international expansion and our commitment to advancing the SDGs by providing care and opportunities to children wherever the need is greatest.

The following year, A Chance In Life partnered with local organizations in the southern state of Kerala, India to serve children whose families could not afford to send them to school. Boys’ & Girls’ Towns of India has since expanded to serve young people in the states of Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu In 2018, A Chance In Life partnered with local organizations across Latin America to form Boys’ & Girls’ Towns of Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala and Peru for children in marginalized communities. We are also supporting young people through special projects in Mexico and Uganda.

A Chance In Life’s proven approach of youth development has already given over 40,000 young people the chance to thrive and grow as leaders in their own communities Now, for the first time, A Chance In Life is bringing this vision to the United States Many children in New York City experience gang activity, lack of access to education, substance use and domestic violence. With the support of our donors, we will provide vulnerable young people here in our own community of New York City a safe and successful future through our newest program, The Village, on Staten Island.