Verizon Employees in California Volunteered More Than 46,000 Hours of Work to Nonprofits in 2009

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon employees in California volunteered more than 46,000 hours with nonprofit organizations last year – the equivalent of 27 employees working full time for one year.  

In 2009, 608 Verizon employees donated their time to 735 different community organizations in the state, and generated more than $365,250 in incentive grants from the Verizon Foundation for the organizations the employees served.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, supports the personal philanthropic contributions made by employees, including employee volunteerism.  Through the foundation's Volunteer Incentive Program, employees can earn cash grants of $750 for the qualified nonprofit organizations and schools for which employees volunteer at least 50 hours of their time in a year.  

In addition to the volunteer time contributed by individual Verizon volunteers, hundreds more company employees in California participated in the Verizon Foundation's employee-giving campaigns last year. Through participation in these campaigns, Verizon employees donated more than $60,000 worth of resources to help those in need.

Employee generosity offered hope and dignity to domestic violence survivors, provided students with back-to-school supplies, and spread holiday cheer and the gift of reading to thousands of disadvantaged children.

"Verizon's commitment to volunteerism is representative of our commitment to California," said Tim McCallion, president for Verizon's West region. "Our communities need our support now more than ever, and Verizon's employees have stepped up with their individual commitments to organizations in their communities."  

Across the nation in 2009, Verizon employees volunteered more than 700,000 hours, an increase of 11 percent over the prior year.  In addition, members of the Verizon Pioneers, a network of current and retired Verizon employees and their families, logged more than 1 million hours of volunteer time for nonprofits in 2009.  

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: 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 nearly 93 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 more than 217,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon