Brooklyn woman giving personal alarms to vulnerable New Yorkers

NEW YORK - Carolyn Kang is on a mission to save lives that she feels are endangered.

"In March when the Atlanta mass shooting happened — that was really difficult to process," Kang, 25, told FOX 5 NY. "That was part of the reason that pushed me to start this initiative in the first place."

She is trying to get personal safety devices in the hands of as many Asian New Yorkers as she can. The device fits onto a key chain, has a flashlight, and will emit a piercing alarm once a pin on the side is pulled out. The sound it emits is more than 125 decibels.  

Kang's mission comes as cities across the country continue to deal with a rise in hate crimes against Asians. She is not alone in trying to get safety devices to New York's Asian American Pacific Islander communities. 

Last Friday, several hundred similar personal alarms were given to mostly elderly and female Asian New Yorkers in Queens through an outreach event co-sponsored by the Chinese-American Planning Council.

"We want to make sure our community members are safe and it's not just about having the alarm," council president Wayne Ho said. "That's the reason why we're encouraging them to report any incidents that they have."

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Kang started a GoFundMe page in April to raise money to buy alarms to send to nonprofits or individuals wanting the safety device. Each device costs around $10.

She said she will give a device to members of any community wanting one. Although, sadly, right now the need is greatest among her own. Kang cited the stabbings of two elderly Asian ladies over the weekend in California as even more heartbreaking proof. 

"That really takes a toll," Kang said.

This is Kang's GoFundMe campaign: