Source: Diocese of Treviso press office
The project Sta a noi – per un patto di comunità (It’s up to us – for a community pact), two months after its launch at Easter, now sees the signing of an official Memorandum of
Understanding that defines in detail the objectives and tasks of all those involved.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was held on Monday 14 June in the Bishop’s Hall in Treviso. The bishop Michele Tomasi, the director of Caritas Tarvisina, don Davide
Schiavon and the representatives of the subjects involved and interested in making the project grow in the territory were present: Acli provincial associations of Treviso, Venice and Padua,
Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts, Agriculture of Treviso and Belluno, Family Centre Institute of Culture and Pastoral Care of Treviso, CNA Territorial Association of Treviso, Confartigianato
imprese of San Donà di Piave, Confartigianato Marca Trevigiana, Confcommercio del Miranese, Confcommercio Imprese per l’Italia ASCOM Padova, Confcommercio San Donà di Piave – Jesolo, Confesercenti
of Treviso, Federmanager Treviso Belluno, Rotary Club of Treviso and UCID provincial section of Treviso and Unascom Confcommercio of Treviso.
The meeting was opened by Bishop Michele, who recalled how this diocesan initiative was born in a – period of difficulty, unprecedented, which requires and allows us to enhance the value
of everything that works and worked well in our social fabric.
The initiative was prompted from the outset by the Bishop as a concrete action of solidarity, with a strong desire to set the Church of Treviso in motion, which made its network available, together
with all the other actors (institutions, associations, businesses, citizens) to offer this way of listening to the territory and responding in solidarity to the difficulties of families and
businesses following the Covid 19 pandemic. The convergent dedication of so many institutions in the service of the common good is a sign of hope in a time of trial, in which the search for the
good of all is a guarantee of the possibility of development and growth for everyone. This is the service that we are allowed to give together – stressed Monsignor Tomasi.
The diocesan solidarity project Sta a noi – Per un patto di comunità, which provides a Community Fund and Microcredit for businesses, was created to support the families and economic
activities that are suffering most from the consequences of the pandemic. It started with an initial endowment, guaranteed by the Diocese of Treviso, of 550,000 euro, deriving mainly from 8xMille
funds, which has been increased in recent weeks by numerous donations from families, parishes, companies and groups, amounting to around 66,000 euro (as of 10 June).
Don Davide Schiavon, director of Caritas Tarvisina, which has an operational role in the initiative, recalled how several diocesan offices have been working together since September. He also
explained that there are about 200 volunteers involved, the Trustees, who refer to the diocesan Caritas and the provincial Acli and meet people in difficulty at the counters, and the
Family-sentinels, who are followed by the Family Pastoral Office and have a fundamental role in the establishment of the territorial network.
Almost all the presidents or representatives of the signatories took part in the meeting in the Bishop’s Palace to express their support and appreciation for the initiative, and to assure support
and further cooperation to make the project grow.
The Chamber of Commerce immediately endorsed the ‘STA A NOI’ project – stressed Chamber of Commerce President Mario Pozza. – A community pact that reflects a vision of social
cohesion aimed at the common good. Yes, because microcredit, economic support, does this: it helps to realise ideas, visions, as well as the needs of everyday life that can give a society a role
and then turn into good practice, perhaps even into new business ideas. The land of Toniolo could only continue on this track.
Diego Pavan, director of the Treviso Rotary Club, stressed the possibility of – deploying all our talents in favour of families, and in particular those who have lost their jobs, calling
for micro initiatives to be grouped together in unitary projects.
Vendemiano Sartor, president of Confartigianato Treviso, warned against the risk that the speed of recovery might leave someone behind. This is why it is important to support and train
people so that everyone can make their contribution.
Mauro Vignandel, representing Confartigianato Venezia, pointed out that this initiative goes back to the origins of associationism, which started with mutual societies, with the true
sense of solidarity, grew with purchasing groups, with solidarity on guarantees and then on services. A solidarity that has been enriched with skills.
Francesco Donadini, from UCID of Treviso, pointed out that – we are not very capable of observing reality, running the risk of being indifferent. The hope is that this project will
succeed in penetrating the real difficulties that exist, which are sometimes latent. Only a good relationship with others and the desire to be close to others can help us all support people
together, to overcome loneliness.
Francesco Antonich, of Confcommercio Unione Metropolitana di Venezia, stressed that – here today we are not only doing solidarity, but politics with a capital P, which also means
transforming people, citizens, into communities that have no borders. Our companies have suffered a lot, especially those formed by young people, to whom we must give hope again.
Rino Rinaldin of Unascom Confcommercio Treviso, who represented Commissioner Tullio Nuzzi, also applauded the project.
Adriano De Sandre, president of Federmanager Treviso – Belluno, highlighted our desire, as managers of industrial companies, to – want to give something back to the territory that hosted
us, in particular by making our skills available to companies in difficulty.
122 families have applied to the Community Fund; 100 have completed the listening interviews, in which the trustees of the counters accompany the family in filling out the application for
assistance, and only 6 applications have not been accepted, as they are linked to situations of difficulty that were already evident before the pandemic emergency: in this case they have been taken
into consideration and directed to other forms of aid. The economic aid granted to families to date amounts to approximately 139,000 euro. The current capacity of the fund is about EUR 477,000.
As far as the Microcredit Fund is concerned, as of 10 June, 14 entrepreneurs have contacted the desk and have started the listening process with the 12 volunteer operators. In need of support are
family-run micro-enterprises, with very few employees or even one-man businesses. The sectors most represented are those that have suffered most from the effects of the pandemic: businesses in
tourism, catering, construction and sports centres (gym and swimming pool). To date, the files of the companies with a positive outcome are 4, for a total of about 40 thousand euro.
To support the initiative financially, we would like to remind you of the details of the current account, in the name of Servitium Emiliani Onlus at Banca Etica, through which you can make a
donation to STA A NOI, with the possibility of taking advantage of the tax deductions provided by law for donations.
STA A NOI donation current account
IBAN IT19L0501812000000017039181
Reason for payment: Community Fund project offer
Other possibilities to contribute are to donate the 5×Mille, indicating the tax code: 94118050262Servitium Emiliani Onlus, or to sign, in the income tax return, the 8xMille allocation to the
Catholic Church which, as it happens in Treviso, can thus allocate funds to projects supporting people in difficulty.
