University of Maryland, Baltimore County - Aided by $25,000 Grant From Verizon - Increases Domestic Violence Awareness Efforts to Keep Students and Faculty Safe

BALTIMORE, Nov. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing that domestic violence is a serious social issue that plagues people in all walks of life, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County is taking steps to heighten awareness on campus and better educate and train students and faculty, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation and Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program.

The funding will support UMBC's Violence Prevention Advocates Program, which educates and trains students, faculty and staff on relationship violence prevention.  A new addition to this program is the bystander intervention training, which will teach students how to intervene safely to prevent interpersonal violence; the characteristics of healthy relationships; and the role of men in preventing relationship and gender violence.

"Recent tragedies related to relationship violence and bullying on campuses across the nation call our attention to these issues and remind us that no campus is exempt," said Nancy Young, UMBC vice president for student affairs.  "UMBC will use this grant from Verizon to involve our entire community in reducing violence through education about relationship and dating violence, peer and bystander programs, and dissemination of information about resources and help." 

Mike Maiorana, Verizon Wireless' regional president for Maryland, D.C., and Virginia, said: "Research indicates that in 21 percent of college dating relationships, one partner is being abused.  Verizon is proud to continue our long-standing support of programs to address college dating violence at campuses like UMBC and the University of Maryland, College Park – two important public research universities within the University System of Maryland and both participants in the Red Flag Campaign, a national public awareness program that received start-up funding from our company."

About the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

UMBC combines the emphasis on teaching found at the best liberal arts colleges with the innovation of a research university.  The university's 13,000 students come from more than 150 countries and take full advantage of the educational, business, cultural and recreational resources of Baltimore and Washington, D.C.  The Carnegie Foundation ranks UMBC in the category of universities with high research activity. UMBC is a member of the University System of Maryland and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.  To learn more, visit www.umbc.edu.

About the Verizon Foundation

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention.  In 2010, the foundation awarded nearly $67 million to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad.  Under the HopeLine from Verizon program, no-longer-used wireless phones and accessories are collected at Verizon Wireless stores, or by mail, to help victims of domestic violence.  The devices are refurbished or recycled in an environmentally friendly way.  Since 2001, HopeLine has collected more than 8 million phones, properly disposed of 1.7 million no-longer-used wireless phones, and kept more than 210 tons of electronic waste and batteries out of landfills.  For store locations and to learn how to donate a phone using a postage-paid mailing label, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.  For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

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SOURCE Verizon