Verizon Foundation Pledges $25,000 to Help Families of the Victims of the Navy Yard Shooting

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Verizon Foundation has pledged $25,000 to The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region to assist families of the victims of the Navy Yard shooting.

The Community Foundation, which managed the $25 million Survivors' Fund for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon, has established two special communitywide funds in response to the Navy Yard shooting on Sept. 16 in which 13 people, including the shooter, died: The Navy Yard Relief Fund, which will provide direct support, where it is most urgently needed, to the victims' families and those injured in the attack. The Safer Communities Fund, which will support nonprofit organizations that offer mental health services and seek to reduce gun violence in the community.

"This tragedy has touched residents throughout the Washington metropolitan area and across the globe," said Anthony A. Lewis, Verizon's mid-Atlantic region vice president of government affairs. "The victims, their families and friends are in the thoughts and prayers of Verizon employees worldwide. Our company has a proud, century-long record of service and corporate citizenship in D.C. and surrounding areas, and we're committed to supporting our neighbors during this time of need."

The Verizon Foundation helps people to live healthy, safe and independent lives by addressing disparities in education, healthcare and sustainability. Since 2000, the Verizon Foundation has invested more than half a billion dollars to improve the communities where Verizon employees work and live. Verizon's employees are generous with their donations and their time, having logged more than 6.8 million hours of service to make a positive difference in their communities. For more information, visit www.verizonfoundation.org. 

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 100 million retail connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries. A Dow 30 company with nearly $116 billion in 2012 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of 180,900.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.  

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SOURCE Verizon