Verizon Wireless Technology Helps Domestic Violence Survivors In Bergen County, New Jersey
MORRISTOWN, NJ — Continuing its commitment to domestic violence prevention and awareness, Verizon Wireless recently donated 25 wireless phones with prepaid service to the Bergen Family Center, a non-profit agency providing life-saving services to domestic violence survivors and their families.
The donation was made possible through the company’s HopeLine® phone recycling program, which collects old, no-longer-used cellphones at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores throughout the New York/New Jersey Metro area. The phones are refurbished, recycled or sold and the proceeds are donated to domestic violence advocacy groups in the form of cash grants and prepaid wireless phones for victims. Phones that cannot be refurbished are disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.
Other New Jersey agencies that recently received HopeLine phone donations include 180 Turning Lives Around in Monmouth County; Jersey Battered Women’s Service in Morris County and Safe in Hunterdon in Hunterdon County.
Dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault in the county, Bergen Family Center provides the county’s only domestic violence services for Korean and Hispanic women in their native language in a culturally-sensitive environment and works closely with other specialized community agencies to provide a comprehensive, seamless approach to helping families and children take control of their lives.
“The HopeLine recycling program provides a quick and easy way for each of us to make a difference in the lives of women and children affected by domestic violence,” said Pat Devlin, president of Verizon Wireless’ New York Metro Region. “Something as simple as a wireless phone can help enable and empower these women to take positive steps to transform their lives.”
Verizon Wireless was the first wireless carrier in the nation to collect and recycle old cellphones and has done so since January 1999, first in New Jersey and then across the U.S. Nationally, the HopeLine program has collected more than 5 million wireless phones, and given more than $5 million in cash grants and more than 60,000 phones with airtime to domestic violence prevention organizations. In the New York/New Jersey Metro area, Verizon Wireless has donated $1 million in products, services and cash grants since 2001, including 1,500 wireless phones.
In addition to a successful phone recycling program and funding for non-profit domestic violence prevention organizations, HopeLine includes free voice mailboxes for survivors, community and corporate awareness initiatives, and a bilingual “Invest in Yourself” program designed to help survivors re-enter the workforce.
HopeLine wireless phone donations also are accepted at all Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in New Jersey and across the nation. For store locations and additional information, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 68.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 70,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
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