American Waldensian Society Welcome Through a 1906 initiative of church forces in New York City Waldensian interest groups which since the mid1800s had arisen here and there across the country were invited to coalesce into a new entity The American Waldensian Aid Society AWS organized to collect funds and apply the same to the aid of the Waldensian Church in Italy and elsewhereand to arouse and maintain interest throughout the US in the work of said Church In the launch decades AWS priorities abroad included earthquake relief 1908 Sicily the building 1914 of the landmark Piazza Cavour Church in Rome care of children orphaned by WWI and at home across the major European immigration years assisting in the settlement of Italian Protestant immigrants and formation of Italian language Protestant churches. The 20s and 30s saw the proliferation of AWS branches notably in urban areas with branchbybranch attention to overseas salary support evangelization ministries and focused building projects. As the shadow of Fascism stole across Italy interest began to falter at points although in an arresting faith commitment AWS and its constituencies during the WWII years with overseas contact broken off still would accrue and bank funds for Italys day of liberation and renewed ministry initiatives. No postwar effort generated more AWS enthusiasm than the late 40searly 50s campaign to build Agape the conference center deep in the Waldensian Historic Valleys near the ItalianFrench border.