AIM was formed in 1981 when pastors from 14 local congregations decided to pool their resources to help local residents who were struggling to pay their basic bills because they had experienced a drop in income. They wanted to help people, but didn't know the best way to do that. They had learned that there were people going from church to church asking for help for the same bill. They created guidelines for the types of situations for which they wanted to provide help. Support for AIM's program now comes from many congregations of a wide variety of faiths in addition to funds from individuals, a few service groups, fundraising events, and some local foundations.
