Verizon Says 'Thank You, Tampa Bay'

Verizon customers and the company's employees who provide service to them have donated more than 15,000 pounds of food and more than $8,000 in contributions to Feeding America Tampa Bay.  Additionally, Verizon employees - including management and IBEW Local 824 members - volunteered more than 150 hours, from April 1 through June 30.

The efforts were a part of Verizon's participation in the Kindness 2011 campaign, a community effort created to bring food, blood donations and toys throughout the year to people in need in the Tampa Bay area. 

Verizon employees donated non-perishable food items and also accepted food donations from customers who needed Verizon service calls.  Cash contributions were also made by employees and customers alike.  Verizon's efforts included a friendly contest among 24 of the "work yards" in the Tampa Bay area, to see which yard could raise the most food donations.  The contest was won by the Tampa North district, which uses the University Yard at East 131st Street as its home base.

"We appreciate the efforts put forth by Verizon and the important message they delivered to customers as they conducted business over those three months," said Pat Rogers, executive director, Feeding America Tampa Bay.  "Awareness of hunger in our community is just as important as the donations made by Verizon's customers and employees.  Unfortunately, the need for hunger relief does not go away.  These efforts certainly helped, however, and we are thankful for the partnership."

The food relief effort was one of several campaigns included in the inaugural year of the Kindness program.  Other program recipients were Florida Blood Services and Toys for Tots Tampa Bay.

"I am both proud of our employees and touched by the partnership our customers formed with us to address this important issue in our community," said Jeanmarie Milla, Verizon's Florida region operations president.   "We have a strong employee base of over 10,000 who care deeply about the community we live in.  We asked them to mobilize for Feeding America Tampa Bay to fight hunger close to home, and they responded - as they always do."

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 more than 106 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, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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