Holidays Create Surplus Of Old Cell Phones; Recycle Them At Verizon Wireless Stores

WOBURN, MA — WOBURN, Mass. - If you received a new wireless phone as a holiday gift, Verizon Wireless hopes you'll think about donating your old one to help victims of domestic violence. All wireless phones, (any brand/any carrier) can be dropped off at any Verizon Wireless Communications Store and donated to the company's HopeLine^SM Phone Recycling Program. All phones collected will be refurbished, recycled or sold, and either phones or cash, will be donated to non-profit domestic violence agencies. In addition, wireless phones and batteries require proper disposal, and by donating them to HopeLine, phones will be either recycled or disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner.

"The HopeLine Phone Recycling program is an easy way for community-minded citizens to support domestic violence organizations," said Bob Stott, president of Verizon Wireless, New England. "Domestic violence does not discriminate. It's all around us in places most of us would never imagine. Citizens who support the program could very well be helping their own friends or neighbors."

Verizon Wireless makes financial grants to regional and national domestic violence organizations. Through its associated programs, the company provides emergency phones to law enforcement agencies and domestic violence programs; delivers free voicemail boxes for use by women in transition residing in shelters and safe houses to receive and retrieve private messages from potential employers and landlords; donates new or refurbished wireless phones; executes free Invest in Yourself seminars to help prepare women for employment, and also sponsors the HopeLine Cycling Team, a professional women's cycling team that races throughout New England to help raise awareness about domestic violence. The cycling team donates all winnings to regional HopeLine related organizations.

As a result of HopeLine and related phone recycling programs the company has organized since 1995, Verizon Wireless has collected more than 850,000 used wireless phones, and has donated more than 477,000 since the program was launched nationwide in October, 2001. Donations are accepted at all 51 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores though out the six state New England region. For store locations and additional information, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the nation's leading provider of wireless communications. The company has the largest nationwide wireless voice and data network and 31.5 million customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com.

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