Life is full of opportunities, yet not for everyone. Living in countries with wars, poor economic conditions, and a lack of welfare makes it impossible to pursue basic rights. That’s especially true for children. A Chance in Life, once known as Boys’ Town, was founded to fill that gap, by providing shelter, education, and leadership development for at-risk youth. 

It was the end of WWII in Italy when Monsignor Carroll-Abbing identified the need to assist children living on the streets. He decided to set up the Shoeshine Hotel in the basement of a war-damaged building so he could gather the kids hanging around Rome’s Termini train station and welcome them inside for a warm dinner and a safe place to sleep.