A Rally For Hope: HopeLine From Verizon Brings Together Community Leaders & Sports Stars in Detroit Ahead of Domestic Violence Awareness Month

          When: 9 a.m. Tuesday, September 29, 2015 Where: Campus Martius Park—North Stage, 800 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI Who: Speakers Include:

• Detroit Lions Player
• Michigan State University Men’s Basketball Coach, Tom Izzo
• Detroit Police Department
• Representatives from:
  • YWCA of Metropolitan Detroit
  • Jewish Women International
  • American Axle Manufacturing
  • Verizon
• Distinguished guests from:
  • University of Michigan-Dearborn
  • Grand Valley State University
  • Western Michigan University
• $100,000 in HopeLine From Verizon grants will be donated to state-wide organizations in October, including:
  • Goodwill Industries of Detroit
  • YWCA of Metropolitan Detroit
  • HAVEN of Pontiac
  • Alternatives For Girls of Detroit
  • First Step of Wayne County
  • Ruth Ellis Center of Highland Park
  • MSU Safe Place of East Lansing
  • ACCESS

What:

• The public is invited to take part in the Rally For Hope on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 9 a.m. in Campus Martius Park. Michigan sports stars and business leaders will share why it’s important for the community to help end domestic violence and help HopeLine reach 1 million no-longer-used phone donations.
• $30,000 in HopeLine From Verizon grant money will be awarded to members of the local community:
  • $20,000 to Jewish Women International, which will go to domestic violence prevention efforts in a partnership with YWCA Detroit
  • $10,000 to YWCA of Metropolitan Detroit

Limited autographs will be available from Coach Izzo until 10 a.m. EST.

The Rally For Hope will serve as a kickoff for Verizon’s month-long HopeLine Michigan drive in conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. We encourage the public to join the movement and support survivors by donating no-longer-used cell phones to any Verizon retail location throughout October. About HopeLine from Verizon: HopeLine offers the public an opportunity to help prevent domestic violence by donating no-longer-used wireless phones and accessories in any condition from any carrier. Wireless phones given to HopeLine are refurbished and recycled in an environmentally sound way, generating proceeds going toward financial support of domestic violence awareness and prevention programs. Verizon also donates phones through HopeLine – complete with service – to local domestic violence agencies or law enforcement agencies for use by domestic violence survivors. HopeLine from Verizon Statistics (since 2001):

• 4 million+ phones collected nationwide
• $29 million+ cash grants provided to domestic violence organizations
• 190,000+ phones donated to domestic violence victims and survivors

Tweet your support from the event or while donating a phone using the hashtag #VZHopeLineMI.