California Nonprofits Received $8 Million From Verizon to Promote Literacy, Improve Health Care, and Support Domestic Violence Prevention Initiatives

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ --  More than 320 nonprofit groups in California received $8 million from the Verizon Foundation in 2009, enabling recipient organizations to enhance literacy skills, improve health care through the use of technology, and help domestic violence survivors rebuild their lives.

Verizon works closely with a variety of nonprofit organizations to identify and address local needs with the philanthropic support of the Verizon Foundation.  California nonprofits that received Verizon grants in 2009 included:

• Los Angeles Community College District, Los Angeles - $66,500 for the Virtual Counselor College Access Program, which provides, which real-time bilingual (English and Spanish) access to college campus counselors who help high school students make informed decisions about their future education and career paths.

• UC Davis, Davis - $60,000 to the Family Protection and Legal Assistance Law Clinic, which assists victims of domestic violence in obtaining needed financial support, housing referrals, restraining orders and custody orders.

• St. Mary's Medical Center, Apple Valley - $55,000 to the St. Mary's Medical Center and Apple Valley Fire Department's Beat the Clock: Pre-Hospital EKG transmission for heart attack victims. The project uses broadband technology to transmit electrocardiographs from the field to the hospital before the patient arrives in the emergency room.

• Martha's Village and Kitchen, Indio - $50,000 to Martha's Village Medical Clinic for a screening tool to help health care providers identify adult patients at risk of domestic violence.  Clinic staff educated domestic violence victims about injury prevention and available resources.

• Parent Institute for Quality Education, San Diego - $25,000 to the Parent Involvement in Education program, which informs parents how to effectively communicate with teachers and counselors to determine students' progress relative to grade-level expectations. In addition, parents learn how to navigate the school system and understand which classes their children must take to prepare for post-secondary education.

"Verizon invests in the communities where our customers and employees live and work by supporting organizations that strive to build safe, healthy and prosperous communities," said Tim McCallion, president of Verizon's West region. "Thanks to our grant-making and the generous contribution of time and talent from our employees, we are making a difference in our communities."

In addition, thousands of survivors of domestic violence in California benefited from Verizon Wireless' HopeLine phone recycling program.

In 2009, HopeLine provided:

• More than $406,580 in cash grants to support direct client services such as crisis hotlines, legal services, art therapy supplies for children and many others.
• More than 2,920 prepaid phones and 8.7 million minutes of free airtime to help victims in shelters become survivors.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational Web site, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence.  In 2009, the Verizon Foundation awarded more than $67.5 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad.  It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in an additional $26.1 million in combined contributions to nonprofits.  Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 5 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 91 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of approximately 222,900 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news.  To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

SOURCE Verizon