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UNICO Faces the 21st
Century |
By Giulia Prestia
Left to Right: UNICO
National East Coast Aide from the Queensboro Chapter-NY, Lou
DiRico; UNICO National Immediate Past President from the Verona
Chapter-NJ, John Alati;Dr. Scelsa; ; National Immediate Past
President from the San Diego Chapter-LA, Frank Caperino and Andy
Goverale from the Fairfield Chapter-NJ.
In 2003 UNICO National Foundation pledged $25,000 over a
five-year period to support the work of the Italian American
Museum. “We have a responsibility to uplift the image of Italian
Americans,” said Lou DeRico, the Special Assistant to the
President of UNICO, “and we feel the Museum does that. What
better endeavor to support?”
UNICO, like many other long-standing organizations, found itself
on the brink of the 21st century facing difficult decisions on
how it would embrace the new millennium. Dr. Anthony P. Vastola
founded UNICO in 1922 after being refused membership to a
country club in Connecticut. His goal was to form an Italian
American organization that engaged in charitable works,
supported higher education, and performed patriotic deeds.
Today, UNICO provides scholarships to worthy students and gives
strength and force in fighting the discrimination against
Italian Americans. The name, translated from Italian, means
"one" or "only one of its kind." The letters represent U-Unity,
N-Neighborliness, I-Integrity, C-Charity, and O-Opportunity.
UNICO’s mission is: “To contribute to the well-being of our
local communities and of the nation by making significant
contributions to deserving local and national charities. UNICO
strives to honor, perpetuate, and disseminate the culture and
ethnic heritage of our Italian immigrant ancestors, by
supporting higher education and by educating and informing our
members, local communities and our nation.”
As the charitable arm of UNICO National, UNICO Foundation has a
history that is rich in service to the Italian American
community and charitable causes that affect all members of
society, regardless of their ethnicity. The capital raised from
UNICO Foundation’s 21st Century Campaign will create a permanent
source of funding for programs related to Italian American
culture and heritage, education and scholarship, as well as
charities and anti-bias initiatives.
UNICO Foundation has supported the establishment of Italian and
Italian American Studies Chairs at Seton Hall University in New
Jersey, California State at Long Beach, and the University of
Connecticut. It is now nearing the completion of an Italian
American Studies Chair at the State University of New York at
Stony Brook, and is in the midst of a campaign at Montclair
State College in New Jersey.
Always considering the education of America’s youth a major
focus, UNICO has given millions of dollars in scholarship funds
to worthy students. It supports four undergraduate scholarships,
one post-graduate scholarship, and one medical school
scholarship each year on a national level. At its most recent
meeting of the Board of Trustees, a new scholarship was
established for 8–18 year olds to study Italian language at the
Concordia Language Village in Minnesota.
UNICO supports several charitable causes, including Cooley’s
Anemia, a genetic blood disorder found in people of
Mediterranean ancestry, as well as the Association of Retarded
Citizens and Special Olympics. One of the more recent
beneficiaries of UNICO’s charitable endeavors is the Jimmy ‘V’
Foundation for Cancer Research. In the past five years, UNICO
has given the ‘V’ Foundation over $200,000 in grants for various
forms of cancer research.
UNICO Foundation’s 21st Century Campaign will ensure that its
mission and service can continue well into the new millennium.
“Our goal is to raise one million dollars to support our
endeavors, ” says UNICO Foundation President James Melo. “We
have a great deal of work ahead of us but with our love for
UNICO, and the support of our members, I have no doubt that we
will be successful.” In its efforts to reach its goal, UNICO
Foundation has initially reached out to its members, and so far
has raised over $285,000 towards its goal.
If you would like to support UNICO Foundation’s charitable
causes, please send your tax-deductible gift payable to: UNICO
Foundation, 21st Century Campaign, 271 US Highway 46 West, Suite
A-108, Fairfield, NJ 07004. 1-800-877-1492. UNICO National has
local chapters throughout the United States. For additional
information, visit their website at: www.unico.org.
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