Rockland Family Shelter Receives Wireless Voicemail Service from Verizon Wireless

ORANGEBURG, NY — To help Rockland county victims of domestic violence, Verizon Wireless today donated 10 HopeLine® voice mailboxes to the Rockland Family Shelter. Provided at no charge, HopeLine wireless voice mailboxes offer shelter residents a vital link to the outside world which acts as a building block to a productive, more secure future.

"Nearly 1,600 emergency calls from victims seeking assistance and refuge were placed last year to the Rockland Family Shelter," said Charles Hand, president of the company's New York Metro region. "At Verizon Wireless, we recognize that domestic violence is a very real problem that affects people from all walks of life. Since our regional headquarters is located in Orangeburg, we view these victims as our neighbors, and we want to help them rebuild their lives."

The wireless voice mailbox service acts like an answering machine and allows victims to receive personal messages about interviews, appointments and other important matters. With HopeLine voicemail, women can leave a callback number that protects their privacy and lets them avoid the stigma associated with living at a family shelter. Victims who are still living in their own homes with their abusers also may use HopeLine voicemail as a secure means of communicating without their abuser's knowledge.

In addition to the 10 HopeLine voice mailboxes, the company's Orangeburg employees recently presented the shelter with a check for $1,000, raised through an employee-sponsored fundraiser. The shelter also has received 25 phones, pre-programmed to dial 9-1-1, through the company's HopeLine community service program. The phones are loaned to victims of domestic violence to enable them to call for help in an emergency wherever they are.

Since its inception in 1995, the HopeLine community service program has allowed Verizon Wireless to give back to the community by bringing its wireless products and services to various groups in need throughout the company's service area. Domestic violence prevention and education is the company's chief community focus. Verizon Wireless has provided over 30 agencies with voice mailboxes, and donated or recycled nearly 45,000 phones in the New York metro area.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the U.S. with more than 28 million wireless voice and data customers. The coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD), including Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, GTE Wireless and PrimeCo Personal Communications. Verizon Wireless has a footprint covering more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, 49 of the top 50 and 97 of the top 100 U.S. markets. The company, headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, is 40,000 employees strong. Reporters and editors can find more information about the company on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com.

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