Idaho State University And Verizon Wireless Launch Cell Phone Recycling Partnership To Support Domestic Violence Prevention

POCATELLO, ID — Idaho State University and Verizon Wireless jointly announced a three-year partnership to introduce UHopeLine®, an expansion of the company’s HopeLine® wireless phone recycling program. The new program will increase awareness of dating violence, provide aid to domestic violence survivors and encourage college students to help the environment by recycling their no longer used wireless devices.

The UHopeLine program features five permanent cell phone collection bins placed in high-traffic locations across the three Idaho State University campuses in Pocatello, Idaho Falls and Meridian. The bins accept no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any wireless service provider. Phones that can be refurbished are sold for reuse and those without value are disposed of in an environmentally sound way. Proceeds from the program are used to provide wireless phones and cash grants to local shelters and non-profit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention and awareness.

The Idaho State UHopeLine $25,000 grant will benefit the Janet C. Anderson Gender Resource Center by creating awareness and education for the University’s student population about issues relating to domestic and dating violence.

“It is important for Idaho State University to provide a campus environment where those dealing with domestic or dating abuse have the support and resources they need to improve their situation,” said Arthur C. Vailas, president of Idaho State University. “I’d like to thank Verizon for this opportunity and generous grant contribution to support our students and raise awareness of this essential issue.”

“We applaud the efforts by Idaho State and are proud to introduce an expansion of our growing UHopeLine program with the university,” said Melanie Braidich, regional president of Verizon Wireless. “I’m confident that the on-campus collection sites will help raise awareness of the issue of domestic and dating violence. At the same time, we’re providing students a convenient way to recycle their no longer used phones instead of letting them end up in local landfills.”

"We at the Anderson Center are thrilled to be a part of this opportunity to expand, among the extended campus community, our education and awareness programming about domestic and dating violence – work that the Center has engaged in since its founding in 1998,” said Rebecca Morrow, director of the Anderson Center at Idaho State. “But perhaps the most exciting thing about this opportunity is the potential for growing awareness about domestic and dating violence among the extended campus community.”

Verizon Wireless was the first wireless carrier in the nation to collect and recycle old cell phones and has done so since January 1999. Across the U.S., the HopeLine program has collected more than eight million wireless phones and given more than $10 million in cash grants. More than 100,000 wireless phones with airtime have been donated to domestic violence prevention organizations.

For more information about the Janet C. Anderson Gender Resource Center at ISU, visit: http://www.isu.edu/andersoncenter.

For more information about the Verizon Wireless HopeLine program, visit http://verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 108.7 million total wireless connections, including 92.2 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: 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.

About Idaho State University
Idaho State University enjoys the distinguished rating of Research University-High by the Carnegie Foundation, and is a leader in a broad range of innovative research, teaching and learning through its six colleges and Division of Health Sciences. Visit ISU today at www.isu.edu and www.isu.edu/meridian.

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