Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence Teams with Verizon Wireless to Improve Safety of Domestic Violence Victims

HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) will be rounding up old, unused wireless phones next week and putting them to good use to improve safety for victims of domestic violence. PCADV has joined with Verizon Wireless to collect used wireless phones at the company's Communications Stores throughout Pennsylvania so that they can be recycled to benefit victims of domestic violence.

During the week of November 12 through November 17, unused wireless phones can be dropped off at any Verizon Wireless Communications store. The handsets will be refurbished, recycled and/or sold with proceeds used to purchase handsets for victims.

"Having immediate access to a telephone can mean the difference between life and death for some victims of domestic violence," said Susan Kelly-Dreiss, PCADV Executive Director. "A battered woman may be at risk of violence not only at home but also when traveling to work, taking her children to school/childcare or running errands. The donated cellular phones will provide a critical link - a lifeline - to safety," she noted.

"Many of our shelters have received donated phones over the past year but had no outlet for recycling them," explained Kelly-Dreiss. "In addition to this week-long drive, Verizon Wireless has arranged to have the phones that shelters have stored shipped to the recycling program."

Verizon Wireless recently launched HopeLine^SM, a phone recycling program being conducted in the company's 1200-plus Communications Stores across the country and on the company's web site.

"We hope the recycling drive during the week of November 12 will draw attention to how wireless technology can be used to help these victims," said Roger Tang, president of the Ohio/Pennsylvania Region, Verizon Wireless. "On an ongoing basis, our Communications Stores will have permanent HopeLine displays where wireless users can continue to recycle, unused phones."

South Hills Movers, headquartered in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, is donating a portion of their services to transport the equipment to the recycling center in Michigan.

About Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) - the nation's first state domestic violence coalition - is a private, non-profit membership organization dedicated to ending violence against women and children and restoring their right to live free from fear and violence in their homes. Founded in 1976, PCADV's statewide network has grown from nine to 62 community-based domestic violence programs that offer a lifeline to safety in every county of the commonwealth. These programs serve more than 100,000 victims of domestic violence each year - more than one million during the last quarter century - through intervention services that are provided free of charge and include 24-hour hotlines, crisis centers, individual and group counseling/support, shelter, legal and medical advocacy, court accompaniment, children's programs and referrals to other community resources. For more information, visit the organization's web site at www.pcadv.org.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the U.S. with more than 28.7 million wireless voice and data customers. The coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD), including Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular and GTE Wireless. Verizon Wireless has a footprint covering more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, 49 of the top 50 and 97 of the top 100 U.S. markets. The company, headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, is 40,000 employees strong. Reporters and editors can find more information about the company on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com.

####