Suffolk County, New York Coalition Against Domestic Violence Receives Donation From Verizon Wireless

HUNTINGTON STATION, NY — The Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a leading County agency providing comprehensive services and shelter for domestic violence survivors and their families, recently received a $2,500 donation from Verizon Wireless.

The donation was made possible by the generous support of Suffolk County residents and visitors who, during the month of June, donated their no-longer-used wireless phones to the company's HopeLine® phone recycling program at the new Verizon Wireless Communications Store in Huntington Station, Huntington Town Hall and at company stores throughout the County. HopeLine collects no-longer-used wireless phones to be refurbished, recycled or sold; proceeds are donated to domestic violence advocacy groups or used to purchase wireless phones with airtime for use by victims. Phones that cannot be refurbished are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

"This donation is the result of neighbors helping neighbors," said Charles Hand, president of Verizon Wireless' New York Metro Region. "Suffolk County residents recognize the devastating impact domestic violence can have on families and have responded by donating their old cell phones and chargers to this very worthy cause. We thank them for their generosity and encourage all New Yorkers to keep domestic violence survivors in their hearts and minds."

The Suffolk Coalition Against Domestic Violence offers a holistic program of services. Recognizing that domestic violence affects all aspects of a victim's life, the agency provides safe housing for women and children, a 24-hour hotline, legal assistance, employment advocacy, community education and counseling services for adults and children. Bilingual Spanish and English services also are available on the hotline, in the precincts and courthouse and, most recently, in counseling. Verizon Wireless is a recognized corporate leader for its commitment to preventing domestic violence and raising awareness of the issue. Since 2001, consumers have donated more than 2.5 million used wireless phones to benefit domestic violence survivors and advocacy groups, including more than 100,000 wireless handsets in the New York Metro area.

During the past three years, using funds generated by the HopeLine program, Verizon Wireless' New York Metro Region awarded twelve HopeLine grants totaling $120,000 to domestic violence prevention groups to fund new or expanded programs, including a $10,000 HopeLine grant awarded in 2003 to the Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 54.8 million voice and data customers. The company is headquartered in Basking Ridge, NJ. 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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