Shelter Home of Caldwell County Receives Additional Bell Atlantic Mobile Wireless Phones to Fight Domestic Violence

Shelter Home of Caldwell County Receives Additional Bell Atlantic Mobile
Wireless Phones to Fight Domestic Violence

45 women have been helped
since the program's September launch

June 29, 1999

LENOIR, N.C. -- One mother at the Shelter Home of Caldwell County
desperately wanted to return to work, but feared for her safety because her
batterer, who had previously fractured both her arms, routinely violated
the court's protection order. This woman was eventually able to locate
employment and now, equipped with her Bell Atlantic Mobile wireless
phone, reports to work with a sense of security.

To help more victims of domestic violence, Bell Atlantic Mobile has made
a second donation of wireless phones to the shelter. Three additional
phones now are available to high-risk victims of domestic violence,
enabling them to quickly receive emergency police or medical attention 24
hours a day.

Bell Atlantic Mobile previously donated three wireless phones to the
shelter in September. Both donations were made through the company's
"Wireless at Wor..." community service program, which
donates wireless technology to groups promoting domestic violence
prevention and public safety, according to Larry Ingle, area sales manager
for the company.

"The wireless phones donated today are specially programmed to
dial 9-1-1 at the touch of a button," Ingle said. "It is our hope
that these additional phones will never have to be used to report an
emergency, but if a victim feels threatened, she can rest assured that help
will be on the way."

The most dangerous time for domestic violence victims is when they leave
their abusers, said Terri Looper, the shelter's executive director. Even with
protective orders and bond conditions, victims are at risk. Since abusers
can and tend to disable their victims' landline phones, the donated wireless
phones provide both a portable and tamper-proof lifeline.

"These phones have been a great tool to build our clients' self-
esteem and provide them a sense of security," Looper said.
"Once we saw just how useful these phones are to our clients, it was
clear that we needed additional phones to serve those at risk."

The shelter will train domestic violence victims living at the facility to use
the wireless phones. Bell Atlantic Mobile's part in the program involves
donating the wireless phones and airtime.

In addition to the donation of wireless phones, Bell Atlantic Mobile last
year provided the Shelter Home of Caldwell County 10 HopeLine?
wireless voice mail boxes. HopeLine gives individuals, primarily
homeless and domestic violence victims without access to a personal
phone line, a single point of contact for communicating with family
members, child care and healthcare providers, prospective employers and
landlords.

The Shelter Home of Caldwell County, the first of its kind in the state
when its doors opened to domestic violence victims in 1978, worked with
more than 1,300 clients in 1998. In addition to serving Caldwell County,
the shelter has clients from Burke, Catawba, Wilkes, Alexander and
Watagua counties. The facility can house up to 30 women and children,
and teaches self-reliance, fostering positive self-esteem for each resident.

Bell Atlantic Mobile owns and operates the largest wireless network in the
East, covering 120,000 square miles, and the largest chain of retail outlets
devoted exclusively to wireless voice, data and paging. Based in
Bedminster, NJ, Bell Atlantic Mobile has 6.4 million customers and 8,000
employees from Maine to Georgia and, through a separate subsidiary, in
the Southwest. Through its "Wireless at Work..." community
service program, the company uses its technology to help individuals and
communities improve security and emergency communications. Bell
Atlantic Mobile's parent, Bell Atlantic Corporation (NYSE:BEL) is one
of the world's largest wireless communications companies, with domestic
operations in 25 states and international investments in Mexico, Europe
and the Pacific Rim. For more information on Bell Atlantic Mobile visit:
www.bam.com; on global operations visit:
www.bellatlantic.com/worldwide.