IHC Voices,
Happenings from Our Hill |
GALA TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE!
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Think spring! Think daffodils, robins, college students on Newbury Street wearing shorts way too early—and our Gala. The big evening is Friday, May 2, at Artists for Humanity in South Boston. This year our theme is “Growing Together” because Italian Home is all about growth. We grow the hopes, coping skills, and academic reach of the children and others we serve, helping them attain a brighter future in the wider community. And we’ve grown—and continue to grow—a wide variety of programs so that as our clients’ needs change, we can keep helping them in an environment that feels familiar and safe. Of course, as we grow to meet their expanding needs, we must grow our financial resources accordingly.
The Gala is an immensely important milestone in our financial year—and tons of fun! We have still Gala sponsorship opportunities available. See you there! |
Congratulations to our recent “graduates” |
Italian Home was founded to help children whose families could not care for them at present. More than a century later, the children in our Intensive Treatment Residence (ITR) program live with us around-the-clock because they face similar circumstances. Our goal is to prepare them to thrive beyond the time they spend on our campus, so we celebrate the occasions when kids “graduate” from ITR. Among several who graduated this fall were:
Malik went to live with two aunts who had sought custody of him ever since he was an infant. He completed the process gradually, after family therapy and overnight trial visits. Just before Christmas, his aunts brought him home with plans to adopt him. While here, Malik bonded with another ITR resident. Malik continues to play with him in a community basketball league—and calls him to check in and offer his support!
Faith worked very hard to strengthen her coping strategies and interpersonal skills. She was reunited with her mother and grandmother. Her grandmother acts as her primary caregiver and met all of the requirements to get her back.
Sandra developed her personal skills and became far more stable at ITR. She returned to live with her mother once they found suitable housing.
Please join us in congratulating these three young people. We wish them all the best and look forward to keeping in touch. |
Family Ties, Dr. Richard Spagnuolo: Donor Profile |
Fresh from drilling and filling, Dr. Richard Spagnuolo (above, center), a Roslindale-based dentist, can’t wait to talk about the many ways he’s connected to Italian Home for Children. Like Italian Home, he grew up in the North End. He attended St. Anthony’s School, where he was taught by Franciscan sisters, the order which later staffed IHC. His mother, along with the Tomasello family, was involved in the society that helped found Italian Home. He visited the Jamaica Plain campus as a child and a cousin whose mother died lived at the home part-time.
Amazingly, Dr. Spagnuolo currently lives in the Jamaica Plain house once occupied by the Tomasello family! “How’s that for coming full circle?” he says. When his mother died, he and his three siblings established an endowment to benefit IHC and honor her memory. “We believe she would have wanted that,” he says. And the Spagnuolo siblings have remained generous supporters of our mission over the decades. Thank you for all you do for our cause, Dr. Spagnuolo! |
Pallotta School art show is a masterpiece |
Pallotta School students enrolled in their weekly art therapy group displayed their work at a dazzling show that was held on campus on Friday, December 20. To prepare for the show, the students learned about a variety of artists and explored different materials and techniques to build self-esteem, self-expression, and coping/social skills. Thanks to IHC staff members Zoe Boucher, Maryann Sullivan, Whitney Swan, Anna Waverczak, Ariana Barletta, and more for their help on this wonderful project. See photos:
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