Verizon Wireless Awards $12,500 To The New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence

ALBANY, NY — Through its HopeLine Program, Verizon Wireless is awarding $12,500 to the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) in Albany to help in their efforts to protect victims of domestic violence.

The donation is part of a statewide donation of $25,000 the company pledged as part of a program to encourage wireless customers to donate their old phones to HopeLine in conjunction with the New York State law requiring wireless phone retailers to accept and recycle old cellphones as of January 1, 2007. A similar donation totaling $12,500 was made to other advocacy groups downstate, including the Nassau Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk County and the East Harlem Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Verizon Wireless pledged to donate $5, up to a maximum of $25,000, to local domestic violence shelters and advocacy groups for each wireless phone donated at BJ's Wholesale Clubs or any Verizon Wireless Communications Store in New York State throughout January 2007.

New York residents and visitors can still donate old wireless phones, batteries and accessories of any make or model, from any wireless carrier, at HopeLine wireless phone recycling kiosks located inside BJ's Wholesale Clubs and Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in New York State and across the country.

No longer used phones are collected and either recycled or sold for parts, with wireless phones and/or monetary donations benefiting domestic violence agencies and victims. Since the HopeLine phone recycling efforts began in 2001, consumers have donated more than 3.5 million phones to HopeLine, more than 800,000 phones have been recycled, and more than $3.5 million in cash grants have been awarded.

The NYSCADV is a non-profit organization whose mission is to eliminate domestic violence and to ensure the provision of effective and appropriate services to victims of domestic violence through community outreach, education, training, technical assistance and policy development.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 60.7 million customers. The largest US wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 66,000 employees nationwide. The company 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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