Leading Los Angeles Civil Rights Groups Continue to Raise Domestic Violence Awareness With $75,000 Grant From Verizon

LOS ANGELES - Three Los Angeles civil rights organizations received a $75,000 grant from Verizon on Thursday (May 14) to continue helping members of Southern California's Latino, African-American and Asian communities protect themselves from domestic violence.

Verizon awarded the grant to the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the Los Angeles Urban League (LAUL), which constitute the Los Angeles Domestic Violence Prevention Collaborative.  It was founded in 2007 with the help of $1 million from Verizon.

The $75,000 grant will allow the collaborative to continue to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate domestic violence-prevention education and outreach to the Asian, Latino and African-American communities.  In addition to funding direct services, the support from Verizon will allow the three organizations to conduct workshops and presentations to social service providers, parents and youth in all three communities to enhance awareness of domestic violence and promote healthy relationships.

"MALDEF is delighted with Verizon's continuity of commitment, giving us greater ability to provide critically needed information about personal safety, rights and resources to the Latino community," said Henry Solano, MALDEF's interim president and general counsel. 

Stewart Kwoh, executive director of APALC, said: "The Asian Pacific American Legal Center thanks Verizon for their continuing support of domestic violence outreach, which is critical to informing victims and their families that there are available alternatives to suffering in silence."

During its first year, the Domestic Violence Prevention Collaborative produced a comprehensive guide to domestic violence resources for the Asian-American, Latino and African-American communities. Verizon's renewed support will allow the guide to be updated so that it includes the latest information and remains an effective tool in preventing domestic violence. 

Blair M. Taylor, executive director of LAUL, said: "Domestic violence continues to be the crime behind closed doors in our community. With this grant, Verizon continues to advance its enormous role in eradicating domestic violence in communities of color.  They are to be highly commended for their unwavering commitment to the issues that matter in our community."

Tim McCallion, Verizon's West region president, said: "Verizon is once again proud to join with these three leading civil rights organizations to continue to reach out to the victims of violence in culturally relevant ways to help them rise above their circumstances to make a better life for themselves and their children."

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.

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 wireless 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.

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