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The Visayan Welfare league was a self help association of immigrants from the Visayan islands (McReynolds). Cofounder and first president, Ernesto Cabreana, established this mutual aid association on November 28, 1938 in order to help Filipino communities. During this time, a concept of purchasing groceries on credit, or as it was termed “cash and carry”, was very prevalent. Filipino’s would be able to put their groceries on credit and pay when they had the money to pay. The league made this concept possible by its creation of community that brought people together and created connections that allowed Filipinos to find economic opportunities outside of farming.
Furthermore, the league offered donations and assistance to Filipinos who needed help with hospital and burial expenses.[7] The father of Ernesto Cabreana was one who such person who couldn’t receive a proper burial because of lack of funds. Ernie, son of Ernesto, states:
“I went and looked for it, and I said that this cemetery was different from the other part. The other part was nice and green with all the crosses and head stones, and this place was kind of buried. He was where the county buried the people, that was unknown, those kind of people. Or the poor people that couldn’t afford, you know”
It was after cases like this that the Visayan Welfare League stepped in to assist members to have a proper funeral for their loved ones. Ernie went on to say,
“when my father had the Visayan Welfare League, I remember when he was president, they used to have good funerals. A lot of people used to come to the display of [the] coffin, the whole bit. It was a big difference”.[7]
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