Verizon Wireless Combats Domestic Violence with Grants Totaling $30,000; Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence Among Three Nonprofits to Receive Funding To Assist Families and Educate You

ORANGEBURG, NY — The Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the lead domestic violence agency in the county, is one of three nonprofit organizations to benefit from $30,000 in grants announced today by Verizon Wireless to mark October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The grants, $10,000 each, were awarded to fund new or expanded domestic violence prevention and education programs in the New York Metro area and were made possible through the company's HopeLine^SM phone recycling program.

Grant winners were selected from 60 applications received from nonprofit domestic violence organizations in New York and New Jersey last summer in response to a request for grant proposals. Other award recipients are The Children's Aid Society in New York City and Women's Crisis Services of Hunterdon County, in Flemington, NJ.

The Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence grant will allow the Coalition to purchase a mini-van for the Safe Harbor Shelter. The shelter houses a maximum of 16 women and children and often runs at capacity.

"Currently, we have two vans that are always in use and in need of constant repair," said Cara-Ann Every, director of development for the Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. "One of the vans is16 years old and the other, 11 years old. The grant will enable us to purchase a nearly new van that will be dramatically better than the two we are using now."

Awards were funded by proceeds from the VerizonWireless HopeLine phone recycling program through which the company collects no longer used wireless phones to be refurbished, recycled or sold to benefit victims of domestic violence. Proceeds from phone recycling in the New York metro area were used to seed the three $10,000 grants.

"All the community-minded citizens who turned in old wireless phones to be recycled and companies that hosted recycling drives on their premises have helped to make these grants possible," said Charles Hand, president of Verizon Wireless' New York Metro Region. "Clearly, the HopeLine phone recycling program is working to support domestic violence prevention and help women re-build their lives."

During the first six months of 2003, nearly 714,000 wireless phones were collected nationwide, generating $1.2 million in monetary and other contributions to domestic violence shelters and advocacy organizations. No longer used wireless phones may be dropped off at all 1,200-plus Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the country. All models are accepted. For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.  

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the nation's leading provider of wireless communications. The company has the largest nationwide wireless voice and data network and 34.6 million 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.  

Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence
The Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence has been serving victims of domestic violence since 1976 through a program of shelter, supportive services and prevention. In addition to providing shelter at Safe Harbor, the first facility of its kind in Suffolk County, the Coalition offers a 24-hour hotline, a precinct outreach project, courtroom advocacy, legal assistance, employment advocacy, community education and counseling services. English and Spanish services are available.

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