AIM Croce Coperta – Associazione Interparrocchiale Missionaria ONLUS [non-profit interparish missionary association], is a voluntary association based in Imola, Italy. It was established in 1970.
The Association mainly counts local volunteers and financial supporters. However, the considerable work carried out over the years has won the esteem of donors from several parts of Italy, from Europe, and even from Australia.
The long-standing cooperation of many volunteers from various dioceses has increasingly consolidated the Association in the course of time. In 1997 it was entered in the “Regional Register of Volunteering”, thus becoming a non-profit entity.
All personnel working at AIM Croce Coperta are non-salaried volunteers; they are not employees.
Based on the Articles of Association, there is a President and a Board of Directors/Governing Council made up of six people elected during a members’ meeting held every three years.
The association has about 100 members.
The average annual net revenue of ca. euro 160,000.00 comprises donations from individuals, Foundations and Banks, self-financing activities, crowdfunding campaigns and pre-tax donations (5x1000).
The main goal of AIM Croce Coperta is to support child sponsorship and projects at the Missions of the Imola-based order of The Little Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus.
The Little Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus is a small religious order established in Imola in 1923. Missions are located in the following countries:
These Missions are located in different geographical, social and cultural settings, which have in common the extreme poverty of large sections of the local population. Such people include the Meninos da Rua in Brazil, orphaned children with AIDS or sick people in need of care in Kenya, homeless children in Mexico and, broadly speaking, abandoned elderly people, people in need of food, the sick and the disabled, and young people who would like to continue their studies but lack the resources to do so.
All these situations of poverty and social exclusion find a place in the heart of The Little Sisters of St. Therese. Hence, many people are accepted in their educational and welfare facilities, such as orphanages, nursery schools, family homes, clinics, hospital (we funded the purchase of a colposcope and blood testing equipment, and the creation of two dental surgeries), and care homes for the elderly. Moreover, The Little Sisters of St Therese of the Child Jesus also plan on producing food (i.e., vegetables, fruit, milk, meat) in their own farms in order to make their Missions and Hospital independent, as much as possible, in terms of food supplies. The core concept of the project is to also teach a job and provide employment to the local people. Hence the need for wells to obtain water, besides irrigation systems to improve the quality and the quantity of the agricultural produce and to supply drinking water to the people and to farm animals. They need stables, chicken pens, agricultural tools and vehicles.
We also support The Little Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus of Imola in their charity activities in Imola, including a nursery school for children from poor families, food for the poor, food stamps and scholarships for deserving students who need them.
AIM Croce Coperta provides financial support for these praiseworthy and important works of solidarity and love.
The smallest and most humble gestures often trigger things that are genuinely important.