HopeLine® from Verizon Presents Financial Grant to Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc. (RCSN)

WARREN, N.J., Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless, provider of the nation's largest 4G LTE network, announced that the company has donated $7,500 to Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc. (RCSN) through HopeLine® from Verizon. RCSN works with New York families throughout the five boroughs who have children with disabilities and other special needs to help them understand, navigate, and access the services needed to ensure that all children have the opportunity to develop their full potential.

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"We are very grateful for the grant from HopeLine from Verizon," said Rachel Howard, Executive Director of RCSN. "It will allow us to expand our current educational programs and ensure that more NYC families affected by domestic violence have the chance to heal and grow together."

RCSN has been providing information, direct assistance, and training to families and children with special needs, birth through age 26, in New York City for almost 30 years. A federally recognized Parent Training and Information Center, and the lead organization for the New York State (NYS) Special Education Parent Centers for the Bronx and Manhattan, RCSN works to improve outcomes for all young people and to help parents develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to advocate for their children and obtain appropriate educational services. Additionally, RCSN helps to promote bright futures for students with special needs through positive behavior support, appropriate planning, and prevention of disconnection from school and community supports.

"RCSN has such a unique program that really makes a difference for a lot of families in the New York area," said Pat Devlin, president of the New York Metro Region for Verizon Wireless. "We're happy to support a great advocacy program like this one that helps families both in their community and in schools. We hope that our donation will continue to help their program grow."

Verizon is committed to preventing and raising awareness about domestic violence through its efforts throughout communities. Through HopeLine, Verizon collects used cell phones to be recycled or sold and donates the proceeds in the form of cash grants and pre-paid wireless phones to advocacy groups for use by survivors. Verizon was the first wireless carrier in the nation to collect and recycle old cell phones, and has done so on behalf of survivors of domestic violence since January 1999 – first in New York and then across the U.S.

In addition, proceeds from HopeLine fund a variety of innovative programs. For example, HopeLine recently awarded grants to provide for: the printing of training documents that assist employers in recognizing and addressing the threat of domestic violence in the workplace; video technology that allows domestic violence's youngest victims, children, to participate in legal proceedings from a safe environment; and startup funding for entrepreneurial survivors of domestic violence attempting to establish small businesses and economic stability.

To learn more about HopeLine from Verizon, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline. For more information on Verizon Wireless 3G and 4G LTE networks, products and services, visit www.verizonwireless.com or call1-800-2 JOIN IN. Follow Verizon Wireless on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.

About Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc.
Resources for Children with Special Needs (RCSN) is New York City's only independent nonprofit organization that works for families and children with all special needs, across all boroughs, to understand, navigate, and access the services needed to ensure that all children have the opportunity to develop their full potential.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 108.7 million total wireless connections, including 92.2 million retail customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 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.

David Samberg
914-329-5429
[email protected]
http://twitter.com/VZWDAVID

Sarah Sigro
212-367-9757
[email protected]
http://twitter.com/crenshawcomm

SOURCE Verizon Wireless