Verizon Wireless Awards More Than $70,000 In Grants In New England

WOBURN, MA — Verizon Wireless today announced it has donated more than $70,000 in 2007 to 40 New England-based agencies dedicated to domestic violence awareness and prevention through the company's HopeLine^® grant program.

Through its multi-faceted HopeLine program, the company delivers wireless phones with airtime, voice mail boxes, and financial grants to agencies working with families in crisis and domestic violence survivors, non-profit organizations, law enforcement agencies, and support groups based in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island.

Verizon Wireless Awards Grants Throughout New England in 2007

• Connecticut: Center for Women and Families of Eastern Fairfield County, Bridgeport; Domestic Violence Crisis Center of Norwalk/Stamford; Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven; Interval House, Hartford; Susan B. Anthony Project, Torrington; Women and Families Center of Meriden; Women's Center of Greater Danbury; Women's Center of Southeastern Connecticut, New London; YWCA of Greenwich Domestic Abuse Services
• Maine: The Next Step Project, Machias; Battered Women's Project, Presque Isle
• Massachusetts: Alternative House, Lowell; Boston Family Justice Center; Brockton Family and Community Resources; Center for Violence Prevention and Recovery, Boston; Community Advocacy Program, Boston; DOVE, Inc., Quincy; Jane Doe, Inc., Boston; Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Boston; REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, Waltham; Reading Police Department; South Shore Women's Center, North Plymouth; Town of Canton Police Department; Town of Hubbardston Department of Police; Web of Benefit, Wellesley; Womansplace Crisis Center, Brockton; Womanshelter/Companeras, Holyoke
• New Hampshire: BRIDGES, Nashua; Marguerite's Place, Nashua; New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Concord
• Rhode Island: Domestic Violence Resource Center of South County, Wakefield; Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Warwick; The Elizabeth Buffum Chace Center, Warwick
• Vermont: Behavioral Medicine, Morrisville; Clarina Howard Nichols Center, Morrisville; Rutland County Women's Network and Shelter

Local Businesses, Schools, Law Enforcement Team with Verizon Wireless' HopeLine
HopeLine collects wireless phones and accessories year-round from any wireless provider in company owned Verizon Wireless Communications Stores. In addition, many public and private organizations conduct phone collection drives ultimately benefiting the HopeLine program. In 2007, Verizon Wireless partnered with such diverse organizations as the Berkshire and Plymouth County District Attorneys Offices, General Electric, HP and SouthStation/Equity Office to collect phones and raise awareness of the issue.

Since 2001, more than four million phones have been donated to HopeLine. As a result, Verizon Wireless has distributed approximately $4 million in cash grants, and more than 45,000 phones with airtime to domestic violence prevention agencies and organizations throughout the country. Nearly one million no-longer-used wireless phones have been recycled in an environmentally friendly way, keeping more than 200 tons of electronic waste and batteries out of landfills.

"Through the HopeLine program, Verizon Wireless helps domestic violence survivors with the rebuilding process," said Ken Dixon, New England region president, Verizon Wireless. "Support from our customers, partners and community volunteers has been crucial to the success of HopeLine as we combine resources to become part of a solution to this national epidemic."

For more information on HopeLine or to learn how to arrange a corporate or school-based phone recycling drive, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 62.1 million customers. The largest U.S. wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 67,000 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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