It soon became clear that there was a general need for their services in the Italian neighborhoods in New York, where thousands of residents were mired in poverty, had little education, and were not fluent in English.
Among the founding members were Margherita de Vecchi, Paola Berizzi, Elizabeth T. Bava, and Carolina Allen Perera, who served as the League's first president.
The league helped Italian New Yorkers find jobs, housing, and medical care, and provided emergency aid to the needy.
[1] In response to the Americanization Movement, they helped Italian immigrants learn to speak English and conform to the social norms of Anglo-Saxon Protestant America.
[2] Since the 1960s, as the needs of Italian immigrants have become less pressing, the IWL has turned its attention to raising funds for medical research, hospitals, nursing homes, and scholarships to students seeking advanced degrees in social services.