Verizon Wireless Announces Initiatives Under Way to Help Stop Domestic Violence in Georgia

Verizon Wireless Announces Initiatives Under Way to Help Stop Domestic Violence in Georgia

Month of Activities to Benefit Local Domestic Violence Shelters and Programs

September 28, 2001

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ATLANTA, GA

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On October 1, Verizon Wireless-Georgia Region will kick off a variety of activities to support local organizations during October - National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In addition to the company's ongoing domestic violence awareness and prevention initiatives, these activities will educate consumers, heighten awareness of domestic violence as a workplace issue and support the numerous local programs that assist victims of domestic violence with temporary housing and meal service, legal support, job training programs, emergency communication and more.

Here are a few of the activities planned for customers and employees:

• Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell will declare October 20-27, 2001 as Verizon Wireless Domestic Violence Awareness Week to garner citywide support of the initiative.

• Verizon Wireless will make a significant donation to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 27 at the new StoneCrest Mall Communications store in Lithonia. In addition to a generous monetary donation and more than 50 wireless phones, the organization will also receive toiletries collected from Verizon Wireless' 3,000 local employees. GCADV will then distribute the supplies and funds to its members, which consist of more than 43 shelters and programs throughout the state.

• Metro area Verizon Wireless Communications stores also will continue to accept consumer donations of old or unused cellular phones throughout the month as well as during their grand re-opening celebration October 25-28. The phones will be refurbished through the company's phone donation program, HopeLine, and provided to shelters for distribution to victims of violence in need of emergency communication.

• Verizon Wireless will conduct an employee drive to collect old phones for use in the HopeLine program.
  Verizon Wireless has supported numerous organizations in the past through the collection and donation of phones through its HopeLine program and other activities.

"In 1999, there were almost 3.9 million incidents of domestic violence in the U.S. In Georgia alone, more than 28,000 adults and children were provided shelter or support services by family violence programs," said Jim McGean, president-Georgia Region, Verizon Wireless. He added, "While our company has already donated more than 20,000, 911-ready phones to assist victims of domestic violence nationwide, we are planning this massive initiative to do as much as we can to stop domestic violence among our Georgia neighbors. This is a serious problem that sometimes has long-term, fatal consequences - we hope to make a positive impact."

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the U.S. with more than 28 million wireless voice and data customers. The coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD), including Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, GTE Wireless and PrimeCo Personal Communications. Verizon Wireless has a footprint covering more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, 49 of the top 50 and 97 of the top 100 U.S. markets. The company, headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, is 40,000 employees strong. Reporters and editors can find more information about the company on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com.