Verizon Offers Disaster Aid In Ohio And Northern Kentucky For Tornado Victims

CINCINNATI, OH — The Verizon Wireless Communications stores in the Greater Cincinnati area are participating in a community-wide initiative to collect much-needed items in the wake of the tornado damage that impacted residents in Northern Kentucky and southwestern Ohio. The collected items will be delivered to Simon Kenton High School in Independence, Kentucky, where they will be distributed to area residents.

Donations can be dropped off this week at the following Verizon Wireless stores between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. today through Friday:

Florence
7688 Mall Road
Florence, KY 41042

Western Hills
6175 A Glenway Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45211

Colerain
9870 Colerain Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45251

Fairfield
3324 Princeton Road
Hamilton, OH 45011

West Chester
7787 Cox Lane
West Chester, OH 45069

Kenwood Road
7790 Montgomery Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45236

Beechmont
482 Ohio Pike
Cincinnati, OH 45255-3314

Fields Ertel
9040 Union Cemetery Road
Cincinnati, OH 45249

Tri-County
55 E. Kemper Road
Cincinnati, OH 45246

Middletown
3663 Towne Blvd.
Franklin, OH 45005

Community organizers have identified the items most needed. They include:

• Gift cards from grocery stores, building supply stores and gas stations
• Flashlights and batteries
• Tarps
• Nails and building supplies
• Storage bins
• Buckets
• Can openers (hand held - non-electric)
• Boost/Ensure
• Canned meats
• Boots: Men’s/Women’s sizes 6-13

Individuals wishing to volunteer or get up-to-date information on current needs can join the group Coordination of help for NKY victims of 3.2.12 tornado on Facebook or email NKYtornadorecovery@gmail.com.  

In addition, Verizon Wireless has implemented a mobile giving program for customers looking for a simple way to contribute to relief and recovery efforts supporting communities affected by tornado and flood disasters.

Customers can choose from four different nonprofit organizations and make a $10 donation by sending a text message. Donating is easy – customers simply text the specific word to the organization’s designated short code:

• American Red Cross Relief: Text REDCROSS to 90999
• The Community Foundation of the Ozarks: Text BRANSON to 41010 (raises funds specifically in support of tornado survivors in Branson, Mo.)
• The Salvation Army: Text STORM to 80888
• World Vision: Text WV to 20222

Verizon Wireless waives text-messaging fees for disaster relief, so text messages are free when used to make donations to any of these organizations, and 100 percent of each $10 donation goes to the relief organization.

To help survivors of the devastating tornadoes, the Verizon Foundation will match online credit-card donations of $25 or more from U.S.-based Verizon employees to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, which have launched relief efforts spanning nearly a dozen states.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves nearly 108 million total wireless connections, including 92.2 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit 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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