Virginia Nonprofit Organizations Benefited From More Than $3.6 Million in Verizon Foundation Community Grants in 2011

RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonprofit groups in Virginia that focused on education programs, domestic violence prevention and using technology to deliver or enhance health care received more than $3.6 million in 2011 from the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon.

Nationally, the Verizon Foundation awarded more than $66 million to nonprofit organizations last year.  

"Verizon has a long-standing, proven record of support across the commonwealth and the country for nonprofit organizations that are helping to make a positive impact on society," said B. Keith Fulton, Verizon vice president of Mid-Atlantic region government affairs.  "Our company and our employees are part of the fabric of the communities we serve, and we're proud to use the innovative power of Verizon's network, technological and human resources in working with key organizations to effect change in these communities."

In addition to the grants, Verizon employees volunteered more than 42,700 hours to nonprofit groups throughout Virginia in 2011.  The Verizon Foundation supports employee volunteerism by awarding a $750 grant to a nonprofit organization when a Verizon employee volunteers 50 hours or more to the organization during the year. 

Virginia programs and organizations supported by the Verizon Foundation in 2011 include:

• Virginia Department of Education, Richmond – $25,000 to fund the Virginia Thinkfinity Excellence Award Program, which will recognize eight state K-12 teachers for their innovative use of resources from Verizon Thinkfinity, a comprehensive, free online tool containing tens of thousands of educational resources for teachers, parents and students.
• Radford University, Radford – $24,000 to support the Radford College of Science and Technology's Summer Bridge Program, a weeklong residential camp that brings high school girls from the local area and across Virginia to campus for hands-on learning in information technology, mathematics and natural sciences.
• Junior Achievement of Central Virginia Inc., Richmond – $21,000 to fund the Empowered Through Ethics program, which is designed to introduce area high school students to the concept of ethics.
• University of Virginia's College at Wise Foundation, Wise – $20,000 to fund development of one of Virginia's first telehealth nursing curricula at the Department of Nursing at UVa-Wise.
• Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates, Fairfax – $20,000 to fund CASA's efforts to provide highly trained and supervised volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children referred by the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.
• Presbyterian Homes & Family Services Inc., Lynchburg – $18,000 to fund the Little Wings program, which provides support to children served through the organization's preschool program who may not have other means to receive such education through their pre-school years.
• Children's Hospital of the King's Daughter, Norfolk – $14,000 to support the hospital's domestic violence/child abuse program, which cares for almost 1,000 patients each year.
• Mecklenburg County Business-Education Partnership Inc., Chase City – $12,000 to fund a robotics competition to nurture and build participating students' science, technology and engineering skills.

The Verizon Foundation helps people to live healthy, safe and independent lives by addressing disparities in education, health care and sustainability.  Since 2000, the Verizon Foundation has invested more than half a billion dollars to improve the communities where Verizon employees work and live.  Verizon's employees are generous with their donations and their time, having logged more than 6.2 million hours of service to make a positive difference in their communities. For more information, visit www.verizonfoundation.org. 

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 consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with nearly 109 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon