Massachusetts Nonprofits Received More Than $ 3.5 million in 2009 From the Verizon Foundation to Support Education, Literacy and Domestic Violence Prevention Initiatives

BOSTON, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 1,300 nonprofit groups in Massachusetts received more than $3.5 million from the Verizon Foundation in 2009, enabling these organizations to improve literacy skills, enhance educational opportunities for children, and assist domestic violence survivors.

In addition, Verizon employees volunteered nearly 46,000 hours to nonprofit groups throughout the state in 2009.

"Verizon and its employees are proud to partner with thousands of nonprofit organizations throughout Massachusetts to bring about positive change in the areas of education, domestic violence prevention and Internet safety," said Verizon Region President Donna Cupelo.

Among the grant recipients are:

• Boston Private Industry Council -- $50,000 to support its Classroom at the Workplace: MCAS Preparation and SAT Preparation program for Boston public school students who have failed the MCAS or are first-generation college-bound students who otherwise would not have access to SAT preparation and college counseling.  
• Domestic Violence Solutions Awards -- Thirteen nonprofit agencies that provide domestic violence prevention and service programs received a total of $160,000 in grants.  The award winners are: Abby Kelly Foster's House of Worcester; Close to Home of Dorchester; Elizabeth Freeman Center Inc. of Pittsfield; Elizabeth Stone House of Jamaica Plain; Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project of Cambridge; Healthcare of Southeastern Massachusetts of Brockton; Manet Community Health Center of Quincy; Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers of Cambridge/Lowell; New Bedford Women's Center of New Bedford; Northeastern University School of Law Domestic Violence Institute of Boston; Portal to Hope of Medford; Reach Beyond Domestic Violence of Waltham; and Womanshelter/Companeras of Holyoke.
• i-Safe America -- $75,000 to provide Internet safety workshops for students, parents, teachers and law enforcement officials that help students to remain safe online.  
• Think Ahead with Thinkfinity Awards -- Fifteen public schools that are using Thinkfinity.org in the classroom to help improve student achievement were awarded a total of $150,000 in grants. The schools are in Blackstone-Milleville, Brockton, Fitchburg, Framingham, Hamilton-Wenham, Tewksbury, Peabody, Lawrence, North Adams, Plymouth, Roxbury, Northampton, Taunton, Truro and Worcester.  
• University of Massachusetts at Amherst -- $200,000 to digitize an estimated 100,000 items from its Du Bois collection that will provide online access for the first time to original diaries, letters, photographs and other material related to W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the most influential African-Americans in U.S. history.

The Verizon Foundation, 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.

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SOURCE Verizon