Northern Illinois University Hosts Screening Of Powerful Documentary On Domestic Violence

DEKALB, IL — Northern Illinois University hosted a screening Thursday night of “Telling Amy’s Story,” a powerful documentary that tells the story of a mother of two who was shot and killed by her husband.

After the screening, Dr. Sheena Warren, interim director of the campus’ Women’s Resource Center (WRC), led an in-depth discussion about the film and the issues it raises, along with the Center’s Victim Advocacy Coordinator, Alisa Garbisch. The Victim Advocacy Coordinator is a newly created position within WRC that is funded by the Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women. The screening is part of the Verizon Foundation’s campaign to bring the message of domestic violence prevention to college campuses.

“Young females in college can often feel isolated,” said Warren. “It is important for us as a community to let those who are in rough situations know they are not alone and there are places and people who can help.”

Warren and other leaders in domestic violence prevention in the DeKalb area took questions from students on the issue of domestic violence and healthy relationships. Warren and Garbisch also provided information on the services available to students who are impacted by domestic violence.

“Domestic violence is an issue that impacts families, businesses and communities in every corner of our nation, including college campuses,” said Andrew Brady, director of business sales, Verizon Wireless. “Verizon is committed to using its technology and its human and financial resources to raise awareness of the issue and aid in its prevention.”

“Telling Amy’s Story” chronicles the time leading up to the death of Amy Homan McGee, a mother of two who was shot and killed by her husband. The documentary, funded by the Verizon Foundation, was created by Penn State Public Broadcasting and has aired on more than 300 local public television stations. It has also been used as an educational tool by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice.

A complete listing of future airings is available at http://telling.psu.edu. The documentary is also available with Spanish-language subtitles and captioning for the hearing impaired.

Mariska Hargitay of NBC-TV’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and founder and the president of the Joyful Heart Foundation, appears in the documentary.

“Telling Amy’s Story” builds on a successful domestic violence prevention program at Pennsylvania State University. Both the training program and the documentary were funded by more than $400,000 in grants from the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon. Verizon has a long history of supporting organizations that assist domestic violence survivors. Over the past four years, the Verizon Foundation has awarded $21 million to nonprofit organizations to support domestic violence prevention.

Through the HopeLine® from Verizon more than 8 million no-longer-used wireless phones have been collected and recycled or refurbished to support domestic violence survivors, generating $10 million that has been given to local agencies since 2001.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. In 2010, the foundation awarded nearly $67 million to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation’s largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered nearly 6 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

About Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ: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 wireless network, serving 94.1 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 194,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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