Verizon Foundation Provides Funding to Agencies to Support Domestic Violence Survivors in Queens

To help address the continuing problem of domestic violence, the Verizon Foundation is donating $45,000 to seven nonprofit agencies for use in education, advocacy, support and prevention initiatives across Queens.

The grants, part of Verizon's recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, were awarded at a ceremony Friday (Oct. 16) on the campus of St. John's University - one of the recipients.

Supporting initiatives to increase awareness of the problem of domestic violence is a major concentration for Verizon and its philanthropic activities.  This year, the company has awarded approximately $700,000 thus far to nonprofits that focus on domestic violence in New York.

"Domestic violence is a problem that affects all members of families and tears at the basic fabric of our society," said June Jee, Verizon director for community affairs in Queens.  "These funds will go a long way in helping to educate Queens residents about abuse, the steps needed for prevention, and assisting those people who are trapped in abusive relationships to get help and restore their lives."

The organizations receiving Verizon grants are: 

• Garden of Hope - to support an initiative to offer advocacy and services to minor children of battered Chinese immigrant women in New York City.

• Center for the Women of New York - to support the launch of Verizon's Women in Transition - Yes We Can! a curriculum of 10 workshops designed to meet the needs of women in crisis who have survived emotional abuse and physical violence.
• Forestdale, Inc. - to support the domestic violence prevention training for young fathers (aged 14-24 years) as part of the group's Fathering Initiative.  The initiative helps prepare estranged fathers to reclaim a role in their children's lives through counseling, job training and placement, and confronting past problems such as domestic violence. 
• Safe Space - to support the group's Seen & Heard program, which provides mental health services to children and their families who have experienced family violence, community violence or the loss of a loved one. 
• Turning Point for Women & Families - to support the agency's Direct Services  Program, which provides support to Muslim women and families through crisis intervention, individual and group counseling, advocacy for legal and immigration matters, referrals to appropriate services and empowerment through a support network. 
• Sakhi - to support the organization's Economic Empowerment Program: Enabling Survivors of Domestic Violence Achieve Self-Sufficiency. This program includes a host of activities including career counseling, resume-writing support and job preparation; financial literacy and computer workshops; tax filing assistance; access to educational opportunities; and more.
• St. John's University - to support the Preventing Adverse Reactions to Negative Events and Related Stress (PARTNERS) program, which is administered in the university's Center for Psychological Services and is designed to bring relief to multicultural, inner city youth and families who have suffered the debilitating effects of emotional stress and trauma such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, physical abuse and bereavement caused by family or community violence.

Verizon has a long history of supporting domestic violence prevention and awareness through the Verizon Wireless Hopeline® phone recycling program and through the Verizon Foundation.

Verizon Wireless Hopeline collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories, and puts them to work in the community by turning them into support for domestic violence survivors.  Phones collected through Hopeline recycling drives are refurbished, recycled or sold, and proceeds are donated to domestic violence advocacy groups in the form of cash grants and prepaid wireless phones for survivors.  Phones that cannot be refurbished are disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence.  In 2008, the Verizon Foundation awarded $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 87 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 235,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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