Verizon Wireless Provides More Than $1 Million In Support To Domestic Violence Prevention Agencies In 12 Western States

IRVINE, CA — Verizon Wireless continued its long-standing commitment to domestic violence prevention by awarding nearly $420,000 in HopeLine^SM program grants, and 2,200 wireless phones with airtime to agencies addressing domestic violence in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Each HopeLine wireless phone includes one year of prepaid airtime, for a total in-kind value of $660,000.

In addition, Verizon Wireless partnered with the Mayor of San Francisco and the District Attorney of Riverside County, presenting $175,000 in grants from the Verizon Foundation to increase local services for victims of abuse.

HopeLine grants awarded in 2004 supported a variety of domestic violence prevention and awareness organizations in California including: Barbara Sinatra's Children Center, Casa de Amparo, Human Options, Jenesse Center, Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women, Statewide California Coalition for Battered Women, Su Casa Family Crisis and Support Center and many others.

Verizon Wireless also launched comprehensive domestic violence prevention partnerships in 2004 with the Governor of Colorado; Mayors of Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland; Attorney General of Utah; City Attorneys of Los Angeles and San Diego; and, Phoenix Walk To End Domestic Violence.

"Studies have indicated that nearly one third of all women will be physically abused by a husband or boyfriend during their lifetime," said Marni Walden, Regional President, Verizon Wireless. "Verizon Wireless is committed to assisting our partners, and others in our communities, as they work to prevent domestic violence and help survivors rebuild their lives. We're grateful that our technology and resources can help them make a difference."

Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program is a multi-faceted initiative that involves raising awareness and aiding in the prevention of domestic violence through monetary grants, product and service donations, education and partnerships with non-profit organizations. Its cornerstone is the HopeLine phone-recycling program, which collects and distributes refurbished wireless phones or funds to domestic violence advocacy organizations. The company collected more than 750,000 used wireless phones for recycling in 2004.

Phone and accessory donations for HopeLine are accepted at all Verizon Wireless Communications stores. For more information about Verizon Wireless' domestic violence awareness efforts, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 43.8 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com. To receive broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.  

About HopeLine
2005 marks the 10 year anniversary of the Verizon Wireless HopeLine program, which puts wireless products and services to work to combat domestic violence. Today, HopeLine collects wireless phones and accessories from any wireless carrier and refurbishes or recycles them with proceeds benefiting victims of domestic violence. The environmentally friendly HopeLine Program also provides victims with essential communication tools — wireless phones and wireless services, including voicemail and pre-paid wireless minutes. Donations are accepted at all 1, 900-plus Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the country. For additional information, customers can visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.  

About Verizon Foundation
The Verizon Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications. In 2004, the foundation awarded more than 26,000 grants totaling more than $70 million to charitable and nonprofit agencies that focus on improving basic and computer literacy, enriching communities through technology, and creating a skilled work force. The foundation uses its resources in the United States and abroad to develop partnerships in technology and connect them with organizations serving the needs of diverse communities, people with disabilities, victims of domestic violence, and the economically and socially disadvantaged. The foundation also supports Verizon Volunteers, an incentive program that last year encouraged Verizon employees to volunteer 528,000 hours in their communities and provided $37.6 million in combined contributions to charitable and nonprofit organizations. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizon.com/foundation.

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