Metro Detroit, Michigan, Sexual Assault Survivors Benefit From Verizon Wireless Grant

SOUTHFIELD, MI — Sexual assault and rape survivors in metropolitan Detroit will benefit from a $7,560 donation made by Verizon Wireless to Beaumont Hospitals in Michigan.

The grant will pay for a cohort of the hospital’s nurses to be trained and certified as sexual assault nurse examiners, greatly enhancing the quality of care to sexual abuse survivors. The training will enable these certified nurses to identify the dynamics of sexual assault as well as evaluate and clinically manage the patients appropriately, thereby ensuring comprehensive care that includes follow-up counseling, support and advocacy services.

“Putting trained nurses in touch with sexual assault and rape survivors at such a critical time right after the crime has been committed will enable us to more quickly provide the right kind of assistance to help them with the healing process,” said Adreena Harley, chair of Beaumont Hospital’s Committee to End Domestic Violence.

The gift was made possible in part by Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine® program, which turns no-longer-used wireless phones into support for survivors of domestic violence.

HopeLine’s national phone recycling and reuse program collected nearly 1.13 million phones in 2008 and has collected more than 5.6 million wireless phones since 2001. Over the past four years, Michiganders have turned in 150,000 phones to Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine program. Last year, Verizon Wireless—along with the Verizon Foundation—donated more than $106,000 in cash grants, phones and airtime to shelters and other organizations in southeastern Michigan working to support survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their families.

“I encourage everyone to dig through their closets, ask friends and family members for their used cell phones and accessories and donate this old equipment to our HopeLine program,” said Greg Haller, president–Michigan/Indiana/Kentucky Region, Verizon Wireless. “You can help make a difference in the lives of domestic violence and sexual assault survivors right here in Michigan.”

HopeLine wireless phone donations are accepted at all Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the nation. Verizon Wireless encourages everyone who plans to give a phone to HopeLine to make sure service on that device is discontinued and to erase any personal data on the phone. Phones given to the HopeLine program are refurbished and resold for reuse, or disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.

For more information on Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine program, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving more than 86.6 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 86,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD).  For more information, visit 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.

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