Asian Community Block
New York Asian Women’s Center
How We Began
The New York Asian Women’s Center was founded in 1982 by a small group of volunteers from the Asian community, who recognized that Asian immigrant women had nowhere to turn when faced with domestic violence. What began as a community awareness project, soon grew to include a hotline, available just a few hours a week. Led by Founding Executive Director, Pat Eng, the hotline was run by volunteers out of a supporter’s office, with the phone hidden in a file cabinet during off hours. As awareness spread throughout the community, more operating hours and languages were added to the hotline.
How We Grew
In 1985, volunteers began to take battered women and children into their homes during emergency situations, effectively creating the first organized shelter program for battered Asian women on the East Coast. Two years later, NYAWC hired its first full-time staff, and in 1988 we began offering “safe apartments” to provide shelter facilities for battered women and children.
NYAWC services continued to grow with our Children’s Program, launched in 1995, offering counseling, play-therapy, and parenting skill services. In 1999, we opened our second safe facility for women, and in 2001 we began offering 24-hour emergency shelter.
Where We Are Now
In the last few years, our shelter services have grown to include three 24-hour facilities with a total capacity of 57 beds. With the goal of owning, rather than renting all of our shelters, we purchased our first facility in 2003, and are currently working to complete our second owned facility. Our non-residential services have grown into our Shelter Alternatives: Fostering Empowerment (SAFE) program, serving and empowering women within their own communities. We now have more than 60 staff, offering services in a total of 15 different Asian languages and dialects.
URL: www.nyawc.org
Contact Us
If you would like to speak to someone about domestic violence or the services we offer, call our 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-888-888-7702.
If you are in danger and need immediate assistance, please call 911.
Mailing Address
New York Asian Women’s Center
39 Bowery, PMB 375
New York, NY 10002
Hotline
888-888-7702
Administrative Phone
212-732-5230
Fax
212-587-5731
