Virginia Attorney General Recognizes Innovative Domestic Violence Prevention Programs
Posted on: Tuesday, 28 April 2009, 11:53 CDT
First Round of Grants Awarded From Verizon Wireless HopeLine Program's $10,000 Donation
LAUREL, Md., April 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Timed to coincide with National Crime Victims' Week (April 26 - May 2), Virginia Attorney General Bill Mims is joining forces with the Verizon Wireless HopeLine(R) program to recognize nonprofit groups across the state seeking innovative solutions to combat domestic violence.
At a ceremony today, Verizon Wireless Regional President Mike Maiorana presented checks for $1,000 each to four Virginia community groups working to address domestic violence -- an issue that devastates many families. The four groups, which were selected for recognition as part of the Attorney General's "Safe in Our Communities" program are:
- Fairfax County's Women's Group of Mount Vernon, Inc.
- Loudoun County's Abused Women's Shelter
- YWCA of Richmond
- and Tazewell County's Clinch Valley Community Action.
In October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Attorney General's Office, with the help of the statewide Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, encouraged Virginia community groups to apply for official recognition of their innovative domestic violence prevention programs. Applications were reviewed by a team of stakeholders across the state, including law enforcement agencies, business groups and statewide government officials.
The four groups being recognized today are the first to be acknowledged by the Attorney General's new program. Applications for a second round of awards will be available on the Attorney General's web site, www.vaag.com, beginning May 1, 2009. Since Verizon Wireless provided a total of $10,000 in grant funds, additional nonprofits chosen for recognition will share the remaining $6,000.
"I am pleased with the response we have received from Virginia communities to this Program," Attorney General Mims said. "Communities that take a stand against domestic violence should be recognized. We look forward to sharing the successful efforts of the selected communities with law enforcement agencies, government officials, victim services providers, and others in the private and public sectors across the Commonwealth."
Verizon Wireless regional president Mike Maiorana added, "Domestic violence is, sadly, a part of every community. I'm inspired by the work of the grant winners being recognized today and happy to partner with Attorney General Mims, as well as the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, to recognize them for doing such an important job in our community."
The $10,000 Verizon Wireless grant is made possible by the company's HopeLine program, which collects no longer used wireless handsets (all models, from all wireless carriers) and accessories to be refurbished, recycled and/or sold. Proceeds benefit victims of domestic violence through grants and the donation of wireless phones and service. Since HopeLine's recycling program was launched nationwide in 2001, Verizon Wireless has collected more than 5.6 million phones, awarded more than $6.3 million in cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations and distributed more than 76,000 phones with more than 228 million minutes of free wireless service to be used by victims of domestic violence.
The success of the HopeLine program is fueled by people like Richmond Police Sergeant Carol Adams, who has donated approximately 8,000 phones to the HopeLine program over the years. She travels far and wide to retrieve donated phones, all the while inspired by the memory of her mother, Orine, who died in 1980 in a domestic violence incident.
For more information on Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program or for instructions on donating a wireless phone, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving more than 80 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: 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 Wireless
Source: PR Newswire
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