06/06/2026
Thank you Queens Chronicle for the wonderful and informative article written about our organization for its 90 year anniversary! We are grateful for this opportunity to be highlighted! Article by Kristen Guglielmo Editor at Queens Chronicle Italian Charities of America has served as
a cultural anchor and gathering place for
Italian-Americans for nine decades, preserving stories of immigration, discrimination and resilience while creating space for
music, language and celebration.
Headquartered in its distinctive Queens
Boulevard building in Elmhurst, the nonprofit is marking its milestone 90th anniversary by reflecting on nearly a century of
service and looking ahead to the next
generation.
Founded in 1936, the organization was
originally created to support newly arrived
Italian immigrants, many of whom spoke
little English and faced
discrimination. The group
operated out of Kew Gardens before securing its
space in Elmhurst in 1951.
Generoso Pope, the
Italian-American newspaper publisher and philanthropist, was one of the
group’s founders and helped it establish permanent roots.
“He was actually instrumental in assisting
the organization with donations, and also
assisted us in purchasing the land in 1951 to
build our building,” Domenic Giampino, who
has served as president since 2018 after joining the Italian Charities board more than two
decades ago, told the Chronicle.
“We feel honored that the original founders had the foresight to start this organization,” Giampino said. “We’ve been able to continue it to promote and preserve Italian
American culture, heritage, history, pride
and languages.”
Over the years, the organization’s mission
has expanded beyond its beginnings.
Italian Charities hosts concerts, lectures,
dances, scholarship dinners, cultural panels
and language classes that attract visitors
from across New York City and beyond.
Giampino said one of the nonprofit’s biggest accomplishments has been broadening
its reach while staying rooted in Queens.
“Even though you might not be of Italian
heritage, the reason you’re here is because
there’s something about Italian culture or
heritage that resonates with you,” he said of
the crowds attending events at the organization’s headquarters.
The nonprofit also has
leaned into virtual programming since the pandemic, drawing attendees
from across the country
— and even overseas —
to online language and
cultural courses. Among
its most distinctive offerings are Sicilian
and Neapolitan language classes, programs
Giampino said are rare even in Italy itself.
The courses focus on preserving regional
languages often dismissed as mere dialects.
“We’re the first organization to actually
have a formal Sicilian language course in
modern times,” Giampino said. “We’re adding to a renaissance of the regional
languages.”
The organization also offers an Italian American studies program examining
immigration history, discrimination and assimilation.
Topics include the 1891 lynching of Italians in New Orleans, the
internment of Italian immigrants
during World War II and the cultural pressures many families
faced to abandon their native
languages.
“We try to keep our history
alive so that future generations
know the difficulties that their
parents, grandparents and great grandparents experienced,”
Giampino said.
Italian Charities has also maintained a longstanding commitment to education through its
scholarship program.
Each year, the nonprofit awards
scholarships to graduating high
school seniors entering college, an
effort Giampino said is meant to
encourage younger generations to
stay connected to both their education and heritage.
“We try to encourage Italian
Americans while they continue
their education, and hopefully
we’ll pass on the pride of being
Italian-American in the future,”
Giampino said.
Music has also become a major part of the organization’s cultural programming, with Italian Charities regularly hosting
packed concerts and performances featuring
Italian, Italian-American and regional music.
From holiday concerts to performances
blending English, Italian and Sicilian songs,
the events draw audiences from across New
York City and neighboring states.
“People are just enjoying it,” Giampino
said. “We always get new people.”
For Giampino, the work is personal.
Born in New York to Sicilian immigrant
parents, he spent six years in Sicily as a
child, where he immersed himself in Italian
language and culture before returning to
Queens. Later, he discovered books detailing the Italian-American immigrant experience — stories he said were largely absent
from school curricula.
“That kind of gave me a sense of what it
means to be Italian American,” he said.
Beyond its cultural programming, Italian
Charities also continues the philanthropic
mission reflected in its name. The organization regularly provides donations and other
assistance to charitable groups both in New
York City and beyond, while also hosting
fundraisers and community events at its
Elmhurst headquarters.
“Our motto, ‘Carita per tutti,’ means
‘Charity for all,’” Giampino said. “We can’t
help everybody in the world, but we do our
best to assist.”
Italian Charities will commemorate its
milestone year with its 90th annual gala
dinner dance on Oct. 25 at Roma View in
Howard Beach, honoring Italian-Americans
who have contributed to preserving Italian
culture and heritage.
For more information on upcoming
events or classes, one may visit the nonprofit’s website at italiancharities.org.
As the organization looks toward its centennial, Giampino said attendance and community support continue validating the work
started 90 years ago.
“It encourages us to continue and come
up with greater ideas,” he said. From the Photo below: The Italian Charities of America sponsored an evening of free entertainment from singer Amanda Pascali and her backup duo of musicians, Addison Freeman and Gabriele Bazza, on Saturday, March 14, at the organization’s headquarters, located at 83-20 Queens Blvd. in Elmhurst. (Left to right) Italian Charities of America Vice President Dr. Alan Hartman, Treasurer Anthony Lofaso, Board Chair Josephine Manzella and President Domenic Giampino with musical artist Amanda Pascali and her backup musicians Addison Freeman and Gabriele Bazza.
