Spring Cleaning? Don't Throw Away Your Old Cell Phones; Recycle Them at Verizon Wireless Store in New York

ORANGEBURG, NY — Wondering what to do with those old wireless phones found during your annual spring cleaning? Everyone knows you don't throw them in your office waste basket or household trash, but how can you dispose of them properly?

Drop them off at a Verizon Wireless Communications Store and help fight domestic violence at the same time through the company's HopeLine^SM Phone Recycling Program. All phones collected will be refurbished, recycled or sold, and either phones or cash, will be donated to non-profit domestic violence agencies. What's more, you'll be doing your part to divert tons of materials from landfills by discarding your phone in an environmentally-friendly way.

In the past two years, using funds generated by the HopeLine Phone Recycling Program, Verizon Wireless' New York Metro Region awarded six HopeLine grants totaling $60,000 to domestic violence prevention groups to fund new or expanded programs, in addition to numerous phones and cash donations. The company also has pledged $100,000 to support the New York City Family Justice Center, a new initiative announced last October by Mayor Michael Bloomberg that will allow victims to access comprehensive services more easily by placing dedicated domestic violence prosecutors and essential service-providers under one roof.

"All the community-minded citizens who turned in no longer used wireless phones at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and companies that hosted recycling drives on their premises have helped to make these grants possible," said Charles Hand, president of Verizon Wireless' New York Metro Region. "Clearly, the HopeLine phone recycling program is working to support domestic violence prevention and help women re-build their lives."

HopeLine, which marks its 10th anniversary in 2005, was the nation's first wireless phone collection program run by a service provider. By the end of 2004, Verizon Wireless had collected about 2 million phones nationwide through the HopeLine program and donated more than $1 million in HopeLine funds to organizations dedicated to domestic violence awareness and prevention.

Wireless phones and equipment may be donated to the HopeLine program at any of the 72 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in the New York Metro area, as well as at 1,900 Communications Stores nationwide. If your company or organization is interested in collecting no longer used wireless phones for recycling, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline for additional information.

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 of Verizon Wireless operations, log onto www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.  

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