In the spring of 2026, we will be honored to welcome seven young men from Regis Catholic High School in New York City who have chosen our organization for their senior service project. They will spend three weeks living and working in the village as we begin a deeply meaningful heritage preservation initiative—one grounded in service, respect, and remembrance.
Cemeteries are sacred spaces. They are where memories are kept and loved ones are honored. In Italy, the tradition of placing photographs on gravestones offers families a rare and powerful connection to the past. For many of us sabato 10 gennaio 2026“children of immigrants” seeing an ancestor’s name etched in stone—and their face looking back at them—is the first tangible link to one who they have only known through stories. Often, the cemetery is the last remaining physical connection to their family’s history.
Time, weather, and neglect are steadily erasing these names, dates, and images from our two cemeteries. Every unreadable inscription is a story lost. Every faded photograph is a face forgotten. Once this history disappears, it cannot be recovered.
Come Home to Calabria, in partnership with Regis High School and the Municipal Archive of San Pietro Apostolo, is launching a Cemetery Preservation & Genealogical Digitization Project to ensure these histories endure.
This initiative brings together:
Cemetery maintenance and documentation
Digitization of historic burial records
Creation of a searchable genealogical database
A service-learning experience for American students
What makes this project especially meaningful is its human, community-centered approach. American students will work side by side with local San Pietro Apostolo residents—listening to stories, documenting gravesites, and preserving records together. This collaboration creates a living bridge between generations, cultures, and continents, strengthening the bond between Calabria and the Italian-American diaspora.
Why This Matters
Heritage Preservation
Cemeteries are living archives. Digitization protects fragile historical data from permanent loss.
Genealogy & Memory
Families searching for their roots depend on accurate, accessible records—often after years of searching.
Education with Purpose
Students gain hands-on experience in service, history, and cultural stewardship, learning the value of preserving shared heritage.
Global Connection
This project fosters meaningful cultural exchange rooted in respect, collaboration, and shared responsibility.
How You Can Help
This is a significant undertaking, but one of great importance. Through the generosity of our donors, each contribution helps safeguard our history, inspire young people, and ensure these stories remain accessible to families around the world.
Your donation directly supports the cleaning, documentation, and preservation of gravestones, as well as the digitization of names and photographs—allowing families across the globe to reconnect with their roots. It also helps fund educational programming for the participating students.
By giving today, you help save names from being erased, faces from fading, and family stories from being lost forever. This is your opportunity to help us honor the past, protect the present, and pass these histories on to future generations.
Thank you so much! Grazie mille!
501(3)c tax id # 33-4697152
Zelle: comehometocalabria@gmail.com
Venmo: @Mary-Mazza-3