Verizon Wireless Awards HopeLine Grant to St. Lawrence Valley Renewal House in New York

CANTON, NY — Verizon Wireless will present St. Lawrence Valley Renewal House with a $1,250 grant from the company's HopeLine® Foundation. The grant will go toward rental assistance for victims of domestic violence and their children in order to obtain a safe residence away from their abuser. This grant is just one of 13 grants totaling $35,000 being awarded across Upstate New York to help organizations involved in domestic violence prevention and education introduce new programs, expand existing ones or add facilities to better serve clients.

"This grant award will give Renewal House the opportunity to provide five families in St. Lawrence County with rental assistance," said Ilene Burke, executive director of Renewal House. "Victims leaving an abusive situation are oftentimes faced with economic hardship. Rental assistance will give victims and their children the option of living their lives free of violence."

John O'Malley, Public Relations Manager for Verizon Wireless' Upstate New York Region, will present the HopeLine grant to Burke on Friday, October 21st at 11:00 AM. The check presentation will take place at the St. Lawrence Valley Renewal House located at 3 Chapel Street, Canton.

Verizon Wireless, a recognized corporate leader in the fight against domestic violence, works to combat domestic violence and raise awareness of the issue through the company's HopeLine program.

Marking its 10th year in 2005, HopeLine today collects wireless phones and accessories from any wireless service provider, and then refurbishes the phones or recycles them in an environmentally friendly 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. Phone donations are accepted at all 1,200-plus Verizon Wireless Stores across the country. For additional information, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 47.4 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.

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