Verizon Foundation Gives Morning Star Sanctuary $10,000 For Domestic Violence Education And Counseling In Nashville, Tennessee

NASHVILLE, TN — Today the Verizon Foundation announced its support of Morning Star Sanctuary, a domestic violence agency in Nashville, Tenn., with a grant of $10,000. The grant will be used to fund group counseling and advocacy for women and children who have fled domestic violence. Specifically, the funds will be used to provide professional counseling services, education resources, court advocacy safe haven and safety planning.

“Counseling and advocacy are vital for the healing process that victims of domestic violence and their children will go through,” said John Pugh, executive director of Morning Star Sanctuary. “This grant from Verizon will allow us to educate, counsel and enable our clients to feel safer, know more about options and resources available to them, have a better understanding of the cycle of violence, and have a clear understanding of better coping skills.”

“Verizon has a long-standing commitment to support victims of domestic violence and to support organizations that work to prevent the perpetuation of the abuse cycle,” said Jerry Fountain, Verizon Wireless president for the Carolinas and Tennessee. “We were compelled by the passion of Morning Star Sanctuary to halt the domestic violence cycle in Nashville, and we are thankful to be able to invest in their program to care for victims and their children.” For more information on the Verizon Foundation, please visit www.verizonfoundation.org. For more information in Morning Star Sanctuary, please visit www.morningstarsancutary.org.

About the Verizon Foundation
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. In 2010, the foundation awarded nearly $67 million to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation’s largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered nearly 6 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

About Morning Star Sanctuary
Morning Star Sanctuary is a private, non-profit 501(c)3 based in Nashville, TN that is open to eligible victims of domestic violence and their children regardless of race, creed, color, language or nationality.

Its mission is to provide refuge for victims and children who have fled abusive relationships and to help empower them to break the cycle of violence that controls their lives. For more information on Morning Star Sanctuary, please visit www.morningstarsanctuary.org.

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