WAC Lighting has contributed nearly 100 luminaires to Happy House, a New York City-based emergency shelter operated by the New York Asian Women’s Center (NYAWC). The NYAWC is the exclusive resource in New York with special Asian language, culture counseling and shelter capabilities to help Asian victims of violence and human trafficking.

WAC Lighting donated and arranged the installation of energy-efficient ceiling luminaires and wall sconces from W2 Architectural Lighting’s “Norfolk Series” to illuminate the shelters’ rooms and hallways. Bulbrite Industries donated all of the compact fluorescent lamps needed for these luminaires. WAC Lighting’s energy-efficient luminaires cut the energy costs by more than 50%, reducing total wattage from 7380W to 3192W.

The NYAWC shelters serve families in the Queens Community and provide a human trafficking recovery program called “Project Free.” Project Free recognizes the many similarities between domestic violence and human trafficking. Of the 17,500 slaves that exist in the US, many come through New York, and over 80% are women and children sold into the sex trade.

Every year the NYAWC receives thousands of calls to its hotline in various languages and assists battered women and their children. Of the women they serve, most come to the center with incomes below the poverty line. More than 70% enroll in Vocational or English language training through the organization’s Emergency Shelter Program.

The NYAWC helps Asian, Pacific Islander, and South Asian women and their children in the New York metro area to overcome violence and govern their own lives, free of abuse. The Center also works to raise public awareness about domestic violence, advocate for the rights of battered women, and create an agenda for social change.

Craig DiLouie

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