Based in Italy for over 60 years with its headquarters in Milan, COOPI is today actively engaged in the country’s civil and social fabric, promoting food distribution initiatives, awareness-raising campaigns, and fundraising activities through a well-established network of collaborators, donors, and volunteers.

COOPI’s civic engagement in the Milan area takes shape through food distribution activities targeting the most vulnerable segments of the population, in continuity with the mission initiated by its founder, Father Barbieri. This commitment is embodied in the project “Contrasto alla povertà in Italia” which each month reaches a growing number of families and elderly people in need in Milan and its surrounding areas, offering food, essential goods, and social and informational support.

As part of the organization’s commitment to training, the School of International Cooperation was established in 2022 to respond to the growing need for professionalization in the development cooperation sector. The School offers highly specialized, hands-on technical training designed to strengthen the skills of both international and local staff, and to support the entry of new professionals into the field of international cooperation. Among its main training programs are courses for project managers and project administrators, two key roles that are in high demand among organizations working in humanitarian aid and development contexts.

COOPI is also a partner since 1997 of the Master in Cooperation and Development at the University of Pavia, actively contributing to the training of future generations of humanitarian workers. As a member of the Cooperation and Development Network, COOPI supports the promotion of high-quality academic education in the sector at an international level. Each year, it offers Master’s students the opportunity to carry out internships within the organization.

From its headquarters in Milan, COOPI promotes awareness-raising and fundraising initiatives aimed at strengthening the connection between Italy and vulnerable communities around the world. Support can take various forms, such as the Distance Support Program, which helps transform the lives of thousands of children and their families; the 5x1000, a simple yet meaningful act of solidarity; and legacy giving, all tools through which citizens can contribute to building a fairer future. The funds raised are used to support concrete actions, such as the distribution of food parcels to economically vulnerable families in the Milan area.