Verizon Employees Donate $22,000 Worth of Household Items to Massachusetts Domestic Violence Shelters

BOSTON - Verizon employees throughout Massachusetts donated more than $22,000 worth of toiletries and other common household items to 15 domestic violence shelters across the state during a recent companywide Shower for the Shelter drive.

The local employees were among those at more than 375 Verizon locations throughout the country who took part in the drive to collect household supplies for domestic violence shelters. An estimated $400,000 worth of much-needed supplies were donated to more than 245 local shelters in the areas or cities where the collections took place.

"Verizon has a long history of supporting local domestic violence programs through grants, education and awareness and volunteerism," said Donna Cupelo, Verizon region president in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  "Organizing a Shower for Shelter for domestic violence victims is just one way our employees can give back to the community."

For the campaign, Verizon partnered with the National Network to End Domestic Violence to coordinate the donation efforts.

REACH Beyond Domestic Violence Inc., a domestic violence shelter in Waltham, was one of the organizations that received goods collected by Verizon employees.

"REACH truly appreciates the commitment Verizon has made to victims and survivors of domestic violence," said Laura R. Van Zandt, executive director of REACH. "We are indeed thankful to be a part of Verizon employees' Shower for the Shelter campaign. The basics are something that many of us take for granted, but these items add up quickly. Verizon's generosity makes it possible for REACH to provide quality products to families when they need them."

Other recipients of Verizon employee donations in Massachusetts include:

• Abby's House, Worcester
• YWCA of Lawrence
• Alternative House, Lowell
• Casa Myrna Vasquez, Boston
• Daybreak Resources of YWCA of Central Mass., Worcester
• New Hope, Attleborough
• Southern Middlesex Opportunity Council/Voices Against Violence, Framingham
• Womanshelter/Campaneras, Holyoke
• Women's Resource Center, North Andover

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its signature program, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence.  In 2007, the foundation awarded more than $67.4 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the United States and abroad. The foundation also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in $25.1 million in combined contributions. 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 Verizon's inception in 2000.

For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizon.com/foundation.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 67 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employed a diverse workforce of approximately 232,000 as of the end of the first quarter 2008 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

The National Network to End Domestic Violence Fund (NNEDV Fund) is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to providing public education, training and technical assistance to maintain and develop the professional expertise of advocates working to end domestic violence.  The NNEDV Fund strives to strengthen advocates as organizers and activists in the tradition of social change movements.  For more information, please visit www.nnedvfund.org.

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