By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

 Jon-Luke Donnangelo, a 15-year-old sophomore at South Portland High School, said he hasn’t seen a single dime from his weekends spent stocking the freezer at a local convenience store.

“I head right down there and grab his paycheck before he’s even home,” his mother, Carla Donnangelo said. 

Withholding Jon-Luke Donnangelo’s pay isn’t about teaching him a lesson in financial responsibility as much as it is preparing for the summer. The paychecks, along with proceeds from his mother’s homemade crafts and the generosity of some local businesses have helped him raise $2,500 since November. Jon-Luke Donnangelo said raising that much has been difficult, but it is only a little more than a third of what he will need to fund a three-week excursion to Italy and Greece. 

His interest in overseas travel was sparked by a letter he received from “People to People,” an international organization that promotes learning through travel. He said he and several friends attended a September informational session in Fryberg to learn more about the program. 

“It sounded fun and it would be cool to be someplace different,” Jon-Luke Donnangelo said. “Plus, I’m Italian, so it makes sense.”

 “Some [friends] wanted to go but didn’t think they could raise the money,” Jon-Luke Donnangelo said. “I think if you really want to go, you can do it. I’m excited to go.”

One of 41 students throughout northern New England chosen by People to People to participate in the program, Jon-Luke Donnangelo must now raise a total of $7,200 to pay for his travel expenses, housing and activities during his trip. In addition to creating a Web site where people may donate money, Jon-Luke Donnangelo said the South Portland High School Key Club is planning to help in fundraising efforts. He is also approaching local business owners for assistance, an intimidating task during an economic recession, he said. 

“It’s awkward to ask people ‘Can you give me money?’” he said. “It’s just something you have to do.”

While in Italy and Greece, Jon-Luke Donnangelo’s primary task will be to represent the United States as best he can. All 41 students are required to attend monthly meetings where they learn facts about their home country to share with interested parties during the trip, he said. 

“They want you to know all this stuff so if somebody asks you a question, you have the answer,” Jon-Luke Donnangelo said. “The first meeting was really just a meet and greet. All of the kids seem really smart and know what to do.”

In addition to training sessions, Jon-Luke Donnangelo said he is required to dress up to best represent himself and his country during the trip.

“There’s a very strict dress code,” he said. “You can’t wear jeans, that’s for sure.”

Jon-Luke Donnangelo said he will spend time with host families in both countries, visit relevant attractions and museums and participate in a talent show. A member of the South Portland chamber singers, Jon-Luke Donnangelo said he is hoping to share his singing abilities with locals. 

“No one else in the group can sing, so I got that going for me,” he said. 

The purpose of the trip is about more than sightseeing, however, as Jon-Luke Donnangelo said participants are encouraged to promote world peace and “blending” of different cultures. 

“It’s kind of a weird thing to say it will help world peace, but it’s still something,” he said. 

Even though it will be the first time Jon-Luke Donnangelo has been outside North America – he said he previously visited Canada – he is not as worried about the trip as his mother. 

“Greece is a little nervous for me given everything that’s going on there,” she said. “But [People to People] have been doing this for so many years they’re in constant communications with [local current events.]”

Despite risks associated with international travel, Carla Donnangelo – who said she had been “lucky enough to travel to Taiwan” when she was growing up – is still “extremely jealous” about her son’s upcoming trip.

“I tried to go as a chaperone but they wouldn’t let me,” she said with a laugh. 

Carla Donnangelo said she hopes her son’s trip will help him appreciate his own country and obtain a more global point of view, something that has become a family tradition since her grandfather traveled to Rome and Naples with the Boy Scouts.

“The only way I got to go overseas was by joining the Army,” Luke Donnangelo’s father, Tony Donnangelo, joked.

Although People to People suggests a number of ways for participants to raise the necessary funds, Jon-Luke Donnangelo and his family hope to collect enough money with an idea of their own: the Jon-Luke Donnangelo trailer. Tony Donnangelo said he plans on parking an empty trailer in front of their home on Evans Street with the hopes that passersby will help his son raise the money he needs. 

“We’re going to put up a sign asking people to pull over and drop their bottles and cans in the trailer,” Carla Donnangelo said. “We know times are tough, but it’s something small people can do.”

To learn more about the People to People organization visit www.PeopletoPeople.com and to help Jon-Luke Donnangelo visit Donnangelo.com/Jon-Luke.