Hoosiers Donate More Than 15,000 Phones to HopeLine

INDIANAPOLIS, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoosiers donated more than 15,000 no-longer-used wireless phones to Verizon Wireless' HopeLine® program last year to support and put resources into the hands of domestic violence survivors in Indiana, including 2 million minutes of airtime to maintain critical and daily connections with employers, doctors and schools.

HopeLine from Verizon puts the nation's most reliable wireless network to work in the community by collecting no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any wireless service provider. Verizon Wireless and the HopeLine program provide wireless phones and airtime to victims of domestic violence and cash grants to local shelters and non-profit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention, awareness and advocacy.

"Hoosier donations are critical to the ongoing support of Indiana-based nonprofits that serve families in need," said Carolyn Schamberger, executive director of public relations for Verizon Wireless' Midwest Area. "Ongoing donations can be made to local retail stores throughout the year and provide us with additional resources so that local nonprofits can continue to serve their communities. Survivors often rely on those donated cell phones, so they can stay in touch with important contacts while they rebuild their lives."

Nationally, HopeLine collected more than 1.1 million phones and awarded more than $2.1 million in grants to nearly 450 domestic violence prevention and awareness programs in 2010. Verizon Wireless also provided 25,392 phones with a total of 75 million free minutes of service to shelters and agencies nationwide for use by clients.

Since 2001, HopeLine has collected more than 8 million phones, awarded more than $10 million in cash grants to prevention and awareness programs nationwide, and donated more than 106,000 HopeLine phones with 319 million minutes of airtime to victims, survivors and domestic violence organizations.  

HopeLine wireless phone donations are accepted at all Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the nation, including 38 retail locations in Indiana. To find a nearby donation location using a zip code search, visit: http://www.verizonwireless.com/storelocator

For more information on HopeLine from Verizon and to learn how to donate a wireless phone (including postage-paid donations through the mail), visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

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About Verizon Wireless in Indiana

In Indiana, Verizon Wireless has more than 550 employees and 38 company-owned retail locations in 24 cities, including Anderson, Avon, Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus, Elkhart, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Lafayette, Lawrence, Merrillville, Mishawaka, Muncie, Noblesville, Plainfield, Portage, Schererville, South Bend, Terre Haute, Valparaiso and Warsaw.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 94 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 82,000 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 Wireless