Kansans Recycled More Than 7,400 Phones in 2009 Through Verizon Wireless' HopeLine Program

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Last year, Kansans donated more than 7,400 no-longer-used wireless phones to HopeLine®, Verizon Wireless' phone recycling and reuse program, to support domestic violence survivors and awareness programs nationwide.

HopeLine puts the nation's most reliable wireless network to work in communities by taking unused wireless phones and equipment from any service provider, in any condition, and turning them into potential lifelines.  Proceeds from the HopeLine program are used to supply wireless phones with free airtime to survivors and to contribute grants to domestic violence agencies across the country.  Phones that cannot be refurbished are recycled in an environmentally sound way.  

"We are grateful to those Kansans who donated phones to HopeLine, providing domestic violence victims with a vital link to emergency services, family and friends.  These 7,400 phones equal thousands of minutes of independence for domestic violence victims throughout Kansas," said Brendan Fallis, president–Kansas/Missouri region, Verizon Wireless.

Support for Kansas

The generosity of consumers and businesses that donated in Kansas enabled Verizon Wireless to award more than $30,000 in cash grants to 13 domestic violence agencies across the state. The following agencies received grants in 2009:

• Crisis Center of Dodge City (Dodge City, Kan.)
• SOS, Inc. (Emporia, Kan.)
• Family Crisis Services (Garden City, Kan.)
• Family Crisis Center (Great Bend, Kan.)
• Northwest Kansas Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, Inc. (Hays, Kan.)
• Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Center (Hutchinson, Kan.)
• Hope Unlimited (Iola, Kan.)
• Crisis Center, Inc. (Junction City, Kan.)
• Liberal Area Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Services, Inc. (Liberal, Kan.)
• Crisis Center, Inc. (Manhattan, Kan.)
• Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas (Salina, Kan.)
• StepStone, Inc. (Wichita, Kan.)
• Cowley County Safe Homes, Inc. (Winfield, Kan.)

Verizon Wireless' National Commitment

Throughout 2009, HopeLine collected nearly 1.1 million old cell phones nationwide, which allowed the company to distribute nearly 23,000 phones with 69 million free minutes of service to almost 600 shelters nationwide for use by clients, and award $1.6 million in cash grants to domestic violence prevention and awareness programs across the country.

Since 2001, HopeLine has collected more than 6.7 million phones; awarded more than $7.9 million in cash grants to domestic violence advocacy groups nationwide; and donated more than 90,000 HopeLine phones with 300 million free minutes of airtime to victims, survivors and domestic violence organizations.  

For more information on Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program and to learn how to donate a wireless phone, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 91 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with  83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (Nasdaq 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