Verizon Foundation Gives $25,000 To University Of Kentucky Center For Research On Violence Against Women

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LEXINGTON, KY — A $25,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to the University of Kentucky Center for Research on Violence Against Women will help secure the long-term future of the Center's Women's Social Justice Initiative and improve the way race, ethnicity, poverty and culture are addressed in the study of violence against women, Verizon and the Center announced today.

The grant, which will be matched by the UK Center for Research on Violence Against Women, will be added to the Center's endowment. The interest from the endowment will help fund the final two of five endowed faculty positions, one on the multicultural study of violence against women and one on the study of sexual violence. It also will fund the participation of two minority undergraduate students in the Center's Women's Social Justice Initiative's summer research program.

"Domestic and sexual violence touch the lives of women throughout the United States and around the globe, crossing boundaries of race, ethnicity, class, caste and age-crossing county, region, state and nation. The Center's Social Justice Initiative speaks to the importance of including the experiences of all women when we tell the story of violence," said Carol Jordan, assistant provost and director of the UK Center for Research on Violence Against Women. "The generosity of the Verizon Foundation is helping us ensure that we can meet that critical goal."

"Programs such as UK's Women's Social Justice Initiative conduct critically needed research to help the frontline advocates who work with survivors and their children," said Greg Haller, president—Kentucky/Indiana/Michigan Region, Verizon Wireless. "We're particularly gratified to assist with this initiative, which focuses on the plight of women from all corners of the globe whose lives are touched by sexual exploitation and other forms of violence."

Verizon is a recognized corporate leader for its commitment to preventing domestic violence and raising awareness of the issue. Through the Verizon Wireless HopeLine® program, the company collects no-longer-used cell phones, batteries and accessories that will be recycled or refurbished and sold for re-use to support domestic violence survivors and nonprofit organizations focused on domestic violence awareness and prevention. In the past two years, Verizon Wireless-along with the Verizon Foundation-has donated more than $300,000 in cash grants, phones and airtime to shelters and other organizations in Kentucky working to support survivors of domestic violence and their families.

Anyone can donate wireless phones they're no longer using to Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program, even if their phones are from another wireless provider. Wireless phones, batteries and other accessories are collected at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide and in special collections throughout the year.

Since October 2001, when Verizon Wireless launched its national recycling program, HopeLine has collected more than 5.6 million phones. The program has disposed of more than one million phones in an environmentally sound way and refurbished the remaining phones for resale and reuse. HopeLine has also awarded more than $6.3 million in cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations throughout the country.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational Web site, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2008, the Verizon Foundation awarded more than $68 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in an additional $26 million in combined contributions to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.  

The Center for Research on Violence Against Women at the University of Kentucky works to make current and future generations of women and girls safer through changes in science and changes in social culture. The Center is committed to advancing research into the clinical, legal, cultural and other complexities presented by intimate partner violence, rape, stalking and psychological maltreatment and preparing students to address these crimes in their professional lives as researchers and scholars or as direct service providers in the heath, mental health, social welfare and criminal justice system. The Center enhances the welfare of women impacted by violence through outreach and public service.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving more than 86 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations provide converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. Wireline also includes Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 237,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.  

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

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