A Chance In Life

Boys' & Girls' Towns of Italy was founded on the outskirts of Rome to provide, in our founder's words, "a chance in life" to vulnerable and orphaned children. These desperately poor children lived on the streets free of any kind of supervision and recoiled at adults telling them what to do. This independent nature inspired a visionary approach to youth development: give the children the responsibility of running their own Town.

In 2016, our organization assumed the new name of "A Chance In Life" to honor the vision of our founder, Msgr. John Patrick Carroll-Abbing, and to reflect the international scope of our work. A Chance In Life continues to support the Towns of Italy in Rome and Civitavecchia, and also works to create emerging Boys' & Girls' Towns throughout the world. Currently, there are Boys' and Girls' Towns in Italy, Ethiopia, and India.