Verizon Wireless And The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence Join Together To Benefit Domestic Violence Agencies Across The State

GREENSBORO, NC — Verizon Wireless, a recognized corporate leader for its commitment to preventing domestic violence and raising awareness of the issue, has once again joined together with the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV) to help fund a much needed "how-to" manual that will provide 90 domestic violence programs and hundreds of advocates with critical information about court advocacy, fundraising, empowerment and shelter management. Verizon Wireless is making it possible to develop, print and distribute a Domestic Violence "Best Practices" manual that will soon provide agency directors with a tool to train new advocates. The "Best Practices" manuals will be distributed during the NCCADV's 25th Anniversary Gala on May 10th in Greensboro, NC.

The NCCADV is a community of agencies and individuals who serve battered women and their children by providing a variety of in-shelter and community services including support, education groups and court advocacy. In 2004, the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Wireless, awarded a $50,000 grant to the NCCADV to help the coalition launch a public awareness campaign and provide media training to the member groups of the NCCADV.

"Our two-year relationship with Verizon Wireless has allowed NCCADV to meet our goals for community education and training that would not have been possible without their help," says Mary Beth Loucks-Sorrell, Executive Director of the NCCADV. "The 'Best Practices' manual is an essential tool for understaffed and under-funded shelters, especially in rural North Carolina counties."

"Verizon Wireless has devoted our community service efforts to domestic violence because of the far-reaching impact of this problem that affects one out of three women and knows no social or economic boundaries," said Jerry Fountain, President of the Carolinas/Tennessee Region of Verizon Wireless. "Verizon Wireless is proud to support the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence's ongoing efforts in the fight against domestic violence. The success of last year's public awareness campaign only fuels our excitement as we embark on another year of progress towards ending violence against women."

The company's HopeLine® program collects wireless phones and accessories from any wireless service provider and then refurbishes the phones or recycles them in an environmentally safe way. Proceeds from the HopeLine program benefit victims of domestic violence and non-profit advocacy agencies, providing essential communication tools of wireless phones and wireless services and financial grants. In 2005, Verizon Wireless donated more than $750,000 in grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations in local communities around the country.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 53 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 preview and request 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
HopeLine is a phone-recycling program exclusive to Verizon Wireless that uses wireless services and equipment to assist victims of domestic violence. HopeLine collects used wireless phones, regardless of carrier, make, model or technology. The used phones are refurbished and recycled or sold. Verizon Wireless uses the proceeds from the sale of any donated phone to fund non-profit agencies and to purchase wireless phones for victims of domestic violence. Older, unsalvageable phones are disposed of through an EPA-certified salvage company.

About The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence
The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV) is a community of agencies and individuals who serve battered women and their children is committed to building a society in which our shared beliefs and institutions discourage violence against women. NCCADV was founded in 1981 with 21 participating programs and now includes over 90 member programs. Areas of support to member programs include technical assistance, training, information about public policy initiatives and activities to increase public awareness activities.

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