Florida Nonprofit Organizations Received More Than $1.9 Million in Community Grants from the Verizon Foundation in 2011

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonprofit groups in Florida that focused on education programs, domestic violence prevention and using technology to deliver or enhance health care received more than $1.9 million in 2011 from the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon. 

"Verizon is proud to support key nonprofit organizations throughout the nation that are helping to make a positive impact on society, especially in our local communities," said Michelle Robinson, Verizon's South area vice president, government affairs. "We will continue our support in 2012 and look forward to using the innovative power of Verizon's network and technology to further enhance these vital programs."

In addition to the grants, the Verizon Foundation matches donations made by Verizon employees. The Verizon Foundation also supports employee volunteerism by awarding a $750 grant to a nonprofit organization when a Verizon employee volunteers 50 hours or more to the organization during the year.  Last year, Verizon employees volunteered more than 54,000 hours to nonprofit groups throughout Florida.

The programs and organizations supported by the Verizon Foundation in 2011 include:

• Orlando Health Foundation, Orlando – $15,000 for Teen Xpress, a program designed positively impact the quality of life for underserved youth by providing access to medical and behavioral health care. Teen Xpress offers an innovative array of medical and psychosocial services that are comprehensive, community-based and teen-friendly.  
  
  
• The Spring, Tampa – $15,000 for the I Own Me campaign, designed to address teen dating violence prevention through an emphasis on establishing healthy personal boundaries in all areas of life.
  
  
• Camillus House, Miami – $20,000 to support the Camillus House Educational Empowerment Resources (CHEER) program, which addresses children's educational, creative, physical fitness and life skills needs.  Case managers will create individual student case plans to address and improve students' academic outcomes.

The Verizon Foundation helps people to live healthy, safe and independent lives by addressing disparities in education, health care 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 6.2 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 nearly 109 million total 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, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.  

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SOURCE Verizon