CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Flood victims in southern West Virginia will get some much-needed help with a $5,000 Verizon Foundation grant to the American Red Cross and 16 free portable payphones that Verizon installed in the area.
Eight of the phones are located at the Bill Snodgrass Community Center at Varney in Mingo County. The other eight phones are located at the Hanover Volunteer Fire Department in Wyoming County. The phones will be available 24 hours a day for anyone needing to make a local or long-distance call, including National Guard members and residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed. All calls are free of charge.
Verizon technicians continue to restore service to homes and businesses damaged by flooding earlier this month. In addition, Verizon volunteers are helping flood victims by collecting and donating cleaning supplies and other items.
"Verizon employees' dedication and commitment to the people of West Virginia is unwavering," said B. Keith Fulton, president of Verizon West Virginia. "We sympathize with those who have lost so much during this year's record floods.
"Our donation to the American Red Cross supports the many residents who have been impacted by the floods," Fulton added. "By installing our free payphone banks, we're helping our customers stay in touch with loved ones and handle business matters as they recover from this disaster."
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational Web site, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2008, the Verizon Foundation awarded more than $68 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in an additional $26 million in combined contributions to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 86 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations provide converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. Wireline also includes Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 237,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.
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