Under-Privileged Oregon Youth Taste Technology And College Life; One Of Many Innovative Solutions Supported By The Verizon Foundation In 2011

BEAVERTON, OR — At-risk youth are a now growing part of campus life at Salem’s Chemeketa Community College, thanks to the new Verizon Connect Center Boys & Girls Club. The collaborative community facility is one of many nonprofit efforts supported by the Verizon Foundation focusing on education programs, domestic violence prevention and use of technology to deliver or enhance health care. Charitable organizations in Oregon received nearly $500,000 in 2011 from the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, and also HopeLine from Verizon Wireless.

Nationally, the foundation awarded more than $66 million to nonprofit organizations last year.

“Every day at Verizon we see firsthand how technology helps address big social issues like improving the quality of and access to health care, helping people make smarter energy choices and bolstering education,” said Tim McCallion, Verizon West region president. “Our company and our employees are part of the fabric of the communities we serve, and we’re proud to use the innovative power of Verizon’s network technology to support community organizations making life better for so many Oregonians.”

Verizon employees volunteered at 36 nonprofit groups throughout Oregon in 2011. The Verizon Foundation supports employee volunteerism and generosity and matches employee contributions to a nonprofit organization when a Verizon employee volunteers 50 hours, with more than $30,000 in contributions and matching gifts going to Oregon nonprofits and charitable groups last year.

Oregon programs and organizations supported by the Verizon Foundation in 2011 include:

• Children’s Center of Clackamas County, Oregon City- $16,500 to expand medical, counseling and other resources for child victims of abuse and neglect.
• Raphael House, Portland- $15,000 to teach healthy teen dating relationships and domestic violence prevention to middle and high school students.
• Salem Boys & Girls Club- $40,000 to create a new youth development program on the campus of Chemeketa Community College, teaching technology and communications skills.

The Verizon Wireless HopeLine program provides free cell phones with airtime and cash grants to local shelters and organizations assisting survivors of domestic violence. During 2011, 18 organizations in Oregon received cash grants and more than 800 cell phones with a combined value of $300,000 were distributed. Grant recipients included:

• Oregon Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence—statewide training
• El Programa Hispana, Portland—funds for 24-hour bilingual crisis phone line
• Saving Grace, Bend—video teaching domestic violence prevention for men.

Shared Success

By focusing on mobility, broadband, and global connectivity Verizon is breaking down old technology barriers and empowering businesses and communities. The company is delivering long-term shareholder growth by helping to solve and address pressing issues from health care to energy. To learn more about the strategy known within the company as shared success, visit responsibility.verizon.com/ or click here.

The Verizon Foundation helps people to live healthy, safe and independent lives by addressing disparities in education, health care and sustainability. Since 2000, the Verizon Foundation has invested more than half a billion dollars to improve the communities where Verizon employees work and live. Verizon’s employees are generous with their donations and their time, having logged more than 6.2 million hours of service to make a positive difference in their communities. For more information, visit www.verizonfoundation.org/.

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 consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with nearly 108 million total connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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