Spread Some Hope This Holiday Season

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Dec. 20, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season?  From gift shopping to party planning, it's easy to get wrapped up in the festive spirit of the season.  It's also easy to make a difference for those in need.  Together, Verizon and the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) ask shoppers to take pause this holiday season and consider donating to the text-to-donate program and help support those affected by domestic violence.

"The holiday season is a joyous time to be with our loved ones, to reflect on the past year and our hopes for the future," said Sue Else, NNEDV's president.  "Unfortunately, it's also a time when we continue to see and even witness an increase in domestic violence due to the stresses of this busy season.  We're honored to partner with Verizon on the text-to-donate campaign so we can offer consumers an easy way to help those affected by domestic violence, and offer even more families hope for the year ahead."

Donating is easy.  Anyone can simply text "HOPE" (or 4673) to 41010 to make a one-time, $10 donation to NNEDV, the largest network of coalitions against domestic violence in every state and U.S. territory.  One hundred percent of donations collected through the text-to-donate program will go to NNEDV and its affiliated state domestic violence coalitions.  Verizon will waive its customers' text messaging fees for each donation text.  Customers' $10 donations will appear on their next monthly bills, regardless of their wireless provider.  As part the text-to-donate campaign, HopeLine® from Verizon will also match donations up to a total of $50,000.

"Verizon is proud to partner with organizations such as NNEDV to further enhance awareness and increase the much needed funding and resources for those affected by domestic violence," said Dan Mead, chief executive officer and president of Verizon Wireless.

"In the spirit of holiday giving, we encourage individuals and organizations to consider donating to the text-to-donate campaign or participate in our long-running HopeLine from Verizon program, which turns no-longer-used cell phones into support for victims of domestic violence."

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.  Proceeds from the HopeLine program are used to provide wireless phones and airtime to victims of domestic violence and cash grants to local shelters and nonprofit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention, awareness and advocacy.  Phones that cannot be refurbished are recycled in an environmentally sound way under a zero-landfill policy.

Verizon has a longstanding commitment to raising awareness of domestic violence and aiding in its prevention.  Since 2007, the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, has awarded $21 million in grants to nonprofit organizations that support those affected by domestic violence.

For additional information on NNEDV visit www.nnedv.org. To learn more about HopeLine from Verizon, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline or see more at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnkDUsmkQlk.

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 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 80,000 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.

About NNEDV

NNEDV, a 501(c)(3) organization, is a leading voice for domestic violence victims and their allies.  Its members include the 56 state and territorial coalitions against domestic violence.  It works closely with them to understand the needs of domestic violence victims and advocacy programs.  NNEDV has been a premiere national organization advancing the movement against domestic violence for the past 15 years, after leading efforts among domestic violence advocates and survivors in urging Congress to pass the landmark Violence Against Women Act of 1994.  To learn more about NNEDV, please visit www.nnedv.org.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless