Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal And Verizon Wireless Team Up To Raise Awareness Of Domestic Violence

ALPHARETTA, Ga., Oct. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Georgia's First Lady Sandra Deal and Verizon Wireless today announced a joint initiative to raise awareness of domestic violence in the state and increase collections of no-longer used phones and accessories for HopeLine® from Verizon.

HopeLine, Verizon Wireless' national cell phone recycling and re-use program, collects no-longer-used wireless devices and accessories – all models, from all wireless carriers – to be refurbished, recycled and/or sold. Proceeds benefit victims of domestic violence in Georgia via cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations as well as refurbished phones – complete with 3,000 minutes of wireless service – which are provided to local domestic violence organizations or local government and law enforcement agencies for use with their domestic violence clients.

"Domestic violence is an epidemic that touches every community in Georgia. As First Lady of this state and chairwoman of the Governor's Office for Children and Families Advisory Board, I am committed to improving matters involving family and children in Georgia and dedicated to serving and improving lives in our communities," Deal said. "I was excited to discover that Verizon Wireless has a program in place that gives all Georgians the opportunity to contribute to this important cause by simply donating your old phone. If every person donated just one phone, imagine the positive impact we could make in the lives of domestic violence victims in our great state."

Georgians can donate a phone at any Verizon Wireless store or by mail all year round. To print a prepaid HopeLine mailing label, simply go to www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

"It is an honor to work with First Lady Deal. We look forward to seeing an increase in phone donations and, in turn, being able to provide more funds to deserving Georgia-based organizations doing critically important work on behalf of those affected by domestic violence," said Jonathan LeCompte, president – Georgia/Alabama region, Verizon Wireless. "Help make a difference this October by cleaning out your drawers and donating your no longer-used devices and accessories to HopeLine at your local Verizon Wireless store."

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 94.2 million retail customers, including 88.8 million retail postpaid customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 78,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit 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.

SOURCE Verizon Foundation