Verizon Supports 176 Texas Nonprofit Groups to Promote Literacy, Technology and Work Force Development

IRVING, Tex. - Verizon reaffirmed its commitment to the communities that the company serves in Texas by providing grants in 2003 for a broad range of literacy, work force development, technology and human service programs.

Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, last year donated $2.8 million to 176 nonprofit groups in Texas. Nationwide, the foundation donated about $70 million to worthy causes and charities, including matching nearly $14 million in donations from employees through volunteer incentive programs the foundation offers to employees.

In addition to the Verizon Foundation grants, 446 nonprofit agencies in Texas received a total of more than $1 million through Verizon Volunteers, an incentive program that encourages Verizon employees to volunteer in their communities and provides matching gifts to nonprofit organizations. Last year, Verizon employees volunteered more than 20,000 hours to nonprofit agencies in Texas.

"We believe in investing in our communities through strategic partnerships with organizations that support education and literacy, technology education, and work force development," said Steve Banta, Verizon Southwest Region president. "Verizon's grants, and our employee volunteerism, continue to underscore our long-standing goal of improving the communities we serve and our commitment to providing outstanding service to customers."

Recipients of major grants included:
• Texas A&M University -- $140,000 to support a master reading-teacher program and an early literacy program for children aged one month to five years.

• Collin County United Way -- $81,000 to fund four initiatives that use technology with innovative social service programs in Collin County, Dallas and Lewisville.

• Taft Independent School District (ISD) -- $50,000 to fund a program that provides college scholarships for tuition, books and fees for first-generation college students in the Taft community.

• College of the Mainland -- $45,600 to fund two computer labs for adult basic education and work force literacy sites in League City.

In addition, literacy grants went to Avance Inc.; Boerne ISD; Clear Creek ISD; Dickson ISD; Friends of the Colleyville Library; Friends of the Grapevine Public Library; Friends of the Lewisville Public Library; Literacy Volunteers of the Brazos Valley; Mi Escuelita Preschool Inc.; and Operation L.I.F.T. Literacy Instruction for Texas, among others.

Technology grant recipients included the Boys and Girls Club of Rusk County; Dallas Museum of Natural History; Dallas Reads; Flower Mound Public Library; Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange; San Angelo Area Community Network; the Texas Business and Education Coalition; and the Volunteer Center of North Texas, among others.

Verizon recognized the importance of the state's work force development programs by awarding grants to the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce Business Development Corp.; Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation; Farmers Branch Special Care & Career Services; Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; League City Interfaith Caring Ministries Inc.; North Texas Future Fund; and Weslaco Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement, among others.

Other grant recipients included the Brownwood Family Services Center Inc.; Dallas Urban League; Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce; Junior Achievement of Dallas; Lyford ISD; Mason ISD Foundation; Plano Public Library System; Sulphur Springs ISD; Texas Education Center; United Negro College Fund Inc.; United Way of Grayson County; and United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County.

Verizon Foundation ranks as one of the largest corporate foundations in America, providing grants and developing programs to support the communities where Verizon does business. The foundation places special emphasis on literacy, work force development and the use of technology for the benefit of all people. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizon.com/foundation.

Verizon Communications

A Fortune 10 company, Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services, with approximately $68 billion in annual revenues. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world, as measured by directory titles and circulation. Verizon's international presence includes wireline and wireless communications operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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