Verizon HopeLine Honors the Life of Courage Connection Employee Lost to Domestic Violence With $25,000 Donation

Last week, HopeLine from Verizon made a $25,000 donation to Courage Connection in Champaign, IL, to honor the life of Hillary Knudsen Johnson, an employee whose life was lost to domestic violence earlier this year. Courage Connection Executive Director Isak Griffiths and Champaign Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen joined Champaign Store Manager Matthew Allen in a special presentation held at the store, where employees joined to celebrate the life of Hillary. “Verizon wants to help stop domestic violence,” said Matthew. “The issue is very personal to us, and our support of Courage Connection underscores the importance of the public and private sectors combining forces to make a difference in the lives of families here in Champaign.”

The grant will support a two-year pilot program that seeks to create safer communities by better educating community partners and first responders on protecting victims and minimizing re-victimization. The program seeks to work with the judicial system to more consistently enforce orders of protection and to ensure staff and supervisors receive the most current training on victim advocacy for domestic violence survivors.

The program has the involvement of the mayor, police department and judicial department. "The City of Champaign applauds Courage Connection for providing critical support services to victims of domestic violence in our community,” said Champaign Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen. “Thanks to this grant, Courage Connection can now work to break the cycle of violence through increased education and victim advocacy." Domestic violence impacts one in three women, one in four men and more than three million children in the United States. The only way to improve these statistics is for everyone to work together, starting a conversation that can lead to results that make a difference.

Wondering how you can help? Through HopeLine, Verizon collects no-longer-used wireless devices at any of our stores. Drop yours off today and Verizon will either recycle or refurbish it. Proceeds go back into the community in the form of cash grants, such as the one we provided to Courage Connection in Champaign.