Bell Atlantic Mobile to Provide Wireless Phones to Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office

BRIDGEPORT, NJ — Crime victims in Gloucester County will be one step closer to safety due to a wireless phone donation by Bell Atlantic Mobile. On April 28 in Bridgeport, during a conference in observance of Crime Victims' Rights Week, Bell Atlantic Mobile will make a wireless phone donation to Gloucester County Prosecutor Andrew N. Yurick, for use of the Office of Victim/Witness Advocacy. The phones, which are programmed to dial 9-1-1 at the touch of a button, will enable crime victims such as domestic violence victims, to access immediate assistance should an emergency arise. "We are committed to helping victims of crime break the cycle of violence and to lead safe and productive lives," said John Stratton, regional president of Bell Atlantic Mobile. "With a wireless phone in hand, people can now have peace-of-mind knowing that help is just a phone call away." The request for the phone donation came from Prosecutor Yurick who said that the phones will provide a vital communications link to people who fear for their lives.

This donation is part of Bell Atlantic Mobile's corporate-wide "Wireless at Work" community service program. Since 1995, this program has focused on assisting victims of domestic violence by utilizing the company's resources and technology in a variety of ways. These include the HopeLine program, which provides free voice mail boxes to victims residing in shelters, and donations of pre-programmed wireless 9-1-1 phones to police departments and district attorneys' offices for women at risk. This past year, Bell Atlantic Mobile earmarked $100,000 to help victims by providing wireless technology solutions. On a national level, Bell Atlantic Mobile became the first wireless carrier to introduce a toll and airtime-free link to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, allowing users to simply dial *HOPE from their wireless phones to reach the hotline. This feature ensures fast and easy access for Bell Atlantic Mobile customers in abusive situations to obtain advice at anytime when calling from anywhere in the company's Maine to Georgia footprint.

Bell Atlantic Mobile owns and operates the largest wireless network in the East, covering 120,000 square miles, and the largest chain of retail outlets devoted exclusively to wireless voice, data and paging. Based in Bedminster, NJ, Bell Atlantic Mobile has 6.4 million customers and 8,000 employees from Maine to Georgia and, through a separate subsidiary, in the Southwest. Through its "Wireless at Work…" community service program, the company uses its technology to help individuals and communities improve security and emergency communications. Bell Atlantic Mobile's parent, Bell Atlantic Corporation (NYSE:BEL) is one of the world's largest wireless communications companies, with domestic operations in 25 states and international investments in Mexico, Europe and the Pacific Rim. For more information on Bell Atlantic Mobile visit: www.bam.com; on global operations visit: www.bellatlantic.com/worldwide.

Domestic Violence Hotline Numbers: · State Domestic Violence Number: 1-800-572-SAFE · People Against Spouse Abuse (Gloucester County): (609) 881-3335 · National Domestic Violence Hotline: *HOPE (free call for Bell Atlantic Mobile customers)

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