Phone Donations Earn Massachusetts Community Members 'Hero' Honors

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WOBURN, MA — April is Victim's Awareness Month and many organizations throughout the nation will look to community members for support of local programs that help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Verizon Wireless, a company that has dedicated itself to the prevention of domestic violence for nearly 10 years, will recognize two New England-based corporations with 'HopeLine Hero' awards, honoring those who have supported victims through the Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program.

The recipients of the April HopeLine Hero awards in New England are the GE Elfun Society volunteers of Connecticut and Massachusetts and Hewlett Packard based in Littleton, Massachusetts.

During the last three years, GE's Elfun Society volunteers have orchestrated numerous internal wireless phone-recycling drives in Connecticut and Massachusetts and have collected nearly 2000 phones. GE's Elfun Society is a global organization of employees and retirees committed to improving communities through volunteerism, leadership, and camaraderie. All wireless phones collected have been recycled through the Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program. Proceeds of their efforts have allowed Verizon Wireless to donate wireless phones with service and grants to agencies working directly with domestic violence victims.

HP, recognized for its progressive efforts to recycle, has also been active in promoting wireless phone recycling. For the last three years, the company has organized internal corporate wireless phone recycling drives, resulting in more than 300 pounds of phones, chargers and accessories escaping our landfills. The company also sponsors an Earth Day Awareness event annually at its Littleton, Mass.-based campus at which environmentally conscious organizations join HP to promote a cleaner, safer and more socially responsible world. Verizon Wireless has previously participated in these events, and did so again yesterday. Verizon Wireless delivered a HopeLine Hero award to HP for hosting and orchestrating these internal drives which supported victims of domestic violence, and provided an environmentally-friendly method of recycling no-longer used wireless phones, batteries, chargers and accessories.

Since 2001, Verizon Wireless' national HopeLine phone re-use and recycling program has collected more than two million wireless phones donated by consumers. Through these recycling efforts, more than 200 tons of electronics waste and batteries have been kept out of landfills.

The HopeLine Hero award is given to individuals or businesses that have gone above and beyond to support the HopeLine program through donation, volunteerism, and domestic violence awareness, and is awarded in October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month) and in April (Victims Awareness Month), when national attention is focused on the societal epidemic of domestic violence. Recipients of the HopeLine Heroes Award receive a custom-designed plaque, complete with a silver-embossed mini wireless phone. Verizon Wireless officials presented a plaque to HP, and GE Elfun Volunteer Area Director Joe Gould on behalf of the GE Elfun Society.

"The HopeLine Program is effective because of the strong support of communities and businesses dedicated to the prevention of domestic violence," said Bob Stott, New England Region president, Verizon Wireless. "We know it takes energy, effort, and time to manage projects, like organizing phone drives, and we've created the HopeLine Hero award to express our gratitude to those who have joined us in a continued support of domestic violence victims."

Verizon Wireless, a recognized corporate leader in the fight against domestic violence, works to combat domestic violence and raise awareness of the issue through the company's HopeLine program. Marking its 10th year in 2005, HopeLine collects wireless phones and accessories from any wireless service provider, and then refurbishes the phones or recycles them in an environmentally friendly way. Proceeds from the HopeLine program benefit victims of domestic violence and non-profit advocacy agencies, providing essential communication tools of wireless phones services and financial grants. Phone donations are accepted at all 1,900-plus Verizon Wireless Stores across the country. For additional information, please 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 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.  

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