LIGHTING UP THE NIGHT: The steps of The Nassau Inn are among the sites around town that will be aglow on Monday night in honor of the 14th annual Communites of Light campaign, which benefits Womanspace. Kits are still available for those who want to join the tribute.

At dusk on Monday, December 7, rain or shine, Princeton streets, driveways and walkways will glow with light from rows of luminaria. These votive candles anchored by sand and encased in brown paper bags have become a tradition that has a message.

“They are a symbol of hope,” said Lauren Nazarian, director of development for Womanspace, the Mercer County organization that helps women and children affected by domestic violence and sexual assault. “We want people to know we are here, that our services are available. And it’s a fundraiser for us as well.”

Womanspace’s 14th annual “Communities of Light Peace Begins at Home” campaign was officially launched last October. Kits that cost $10 and have the organization’s logo are available, while virtual luminaria are also for sale. Raoul and Carlo Momo of the Terra Momo Restaurant Group are the honorary co-chairs of the current campaign. Both are active in the local community.

“Frankly, at first we were not quite sure why we were being honored, other than thinking that if you’re in business long enough in a given community, you are bound to be bestowed with an honor or two,” Carlo Momo said at the time. “But it dawned on us that we needed to say something about the topic. After all, women ages 18-34 are at greatest risk of experiencing domestic violence and that demographic makes up half of Terra Momo’s staff. “

Mr. Momo continued, noting that his mother, for whom the restaurant Teresa’s is named, was a primary inspiration for the restaurant group. “The most important value we learned from her is to respect and honor women,” he said. “As sons, husbands, fathers, brothers, employers, friends, and active members of our community, yes, we needed to speak up.”

According to statistics gathered in 2013, acts of domestic violence take place every seven minutes and 20 seconds in New Jersey when viewed as a ratio of their occurrence to a fixed rate of time. Womanspace, which was founded in 1977, offers a list of services including counseling for adults and children, child care, and advocacy for victims of violence who are being processed or treated at police stations and hospitals. Bilingual assistance is available
for those obtaining restraining orders, involved in custody battles, or in need of legal assistance.

There are three hotlines that operate 24 hours a day. Womanspace also sends representatives to talk to staff members at schools, churches, businesses, and restaurants to educate them about services that are offered, all free of charge.

Womanspace is located on Brunswick Avenue in Lawrenceville. The organization also has a safe house at an undisclosed location. “We have home-schooling options for children while they are at the safe house,” Ms. Nazarian said. “We’re one of the very few shelters in the country to offer this. We also have help with transitional and next-step housing. Everything is so personal depending on what they need. It could be financial, educational, building a resume — and all of that at the safe house or in transitional housing.”

The annual Communities of Light campaign is not Womanspace’s biggest fundraiser, but last year’s event raised over $30,000. “We get sponsors, and this year we have about nine retailers who sold the kits, including McCaffrey’s, Gratitude Yoga, Great Looks for Less in Mercer Mall, Terhune Orchards, and Weidel Realty on Nassau Street,” Ms. Nazarian said.

The tradition began when the organization was looking for a way to spread awareness of programs and services. They settled on a holiday theme, but made sure to make the candle-lighting early in December, before college students depart for winter break. The luminaria will be lit not only in Princeton, but across Mercer County.

“People light them at their businesses and in their homes. They light them at the Lawrenceville School, at Princeton University, in churches, synagogues, and some schools,” Ms. Nazarian said. “We also have virtual luminaries on social media. You can buy them for $10, like the regular kits. We send you a lit luminary and you put it on Facebook or Twitter. It’s another way to spread the word, and it makes it easier.”

All proceeds from the sales of luminary kits and donations to Communities of Light benefit Womanspace programs, which last year served more than 11,200 adults and children. The lighting at dusk is designed to raise awareness. And it’s pretty.

“If you drive around town and all over the county, it’s just a beautiful sight to see,” said Ms. Nazarian. “Everyone looks forward to it.”