Rainbow House And Bell Atlantic Mobile Team Up To Fight Domestic Violence In Richmond County

Rainbow House And Bell Atlantic Mobile Team Up To
Fight Domestic Violence In Richmond County

Shelter Receives Donation of Five Wireless Phones

July 28, 1999

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. -- Bell Atlantic Mobile teamed up today
with the Rainbow House to fight domestic violence by donating wireless
phones to victims at the shelter.

"Bell Atlantic Mobile's wireless phones are a needed tool in
providing a sense of security in our clients' lives," said Kay
Brickham, shelter director. "These phones will be instrumental in
helping to build our clients' self-esteem and provide a portable lifeline at
the touch of a button."

Brickham was joined today by Jim Harris, area sales manager for Bell
Atlantic Mobile, to announce the donation of five wireless phones.
Provided through the company's "Wireless at Work..."
program, the phones will allow domestic violence victims to quickly dial
9-1-1 and access emergency, police or medical attention.

"Victims of domestic violence are vulnerable to threatening
situations just about anywhere -- on their way to work, dropping their
children at school, doing their grocery shopping -- and they often don't
have access to traditional landline phones in such emergencies,"
Harris said. "Bell Atlantic Mobile is proud to donate its wireless
technology to give victims of domestic
violence the security of knowing that help is only a phone call away. We
hope that these phones will never have to be used to report an emergency,
but if a victim feels threatened, she can rest assured that help will be on the
way."

Bell Atlantic Mobile's "Wireless at Work..." community
service program features the donation of wireless equipment, airtime and
HopeLine® wireless voice mail services to groups promoting domestic
violence prevention and public safety. Since 1996, the company has
donated almost 150 phones in the Southeast to aid victims of domestic
violence through battered women's shelters and various public safety
agencies.

The shelter will administer the program and train domestic violence
victims to use the pre-programmed wireless phones.

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Bell Atlantic Mobile owns and operates the largest wireless network in the
East, covering 120,000 square miles, and the largest chain of retail outlets
devoted exclusively to wireless voice, data and paging. Based in
Bedminster, NJ, Bell Atlantic Mobile has 6.4 million customers and 8,000
employees from Maine to Georgia and, through a separate subsidiary, in
the Southwest. Through its "Wireless at Work..." community
service program, the company uses its technology to help individuals and
communities improve security and emergency communications. Bell
Atlantic Mobile's parent, Bell Atlantic Corporation (NYSE:BEL) is one
of the world's largest wireless communications companies, with domestic
operations in 25 states and international investments in Mexico, Europe
and the Pacific Rim. For more information on Bell Atlantic Mobile visit:
www.bam.com; on global operations visit:
www.bellatlantic.com/worldwide.