Upstate Domestic Violence Prevention Efforts Receive $82,000 from Verizon

GREENVILLE, SC — Verizon Wireless donated $82,000 today to nine Upstate organizations that provide vital resources and support to survivors of domestic violence, as well as those who work to end such violence. Top executives at Verizon participated in the “Day of Giving,” which included check presentations this morning at five Verizon retail locations in Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson and Simpsonville.

Greenville agencies that received a donation include Safe Harbor, $30,000; Little Steps, $10,000; Goodwill Industries, $7,500; The Family Effect, $5,000; Greenville Little Theater, $5,000. Elsewhere in the Upstate, donations went to SAFE Homes – Rape Crisis Coalition of Spartanburg, $10,000; The Children’s Museum of the Upstate, $5,200; New Foundations Home for Children of Anderson, $5,000; and Golden Strip Emergency Relief & Resource Agency of Greer, $2,500.

“The HopeLine program provides hope to families affected by domestic violence in South Carolina, and across the nation,” said Jerry Fountain, president Verizon Wireless Carolinas/Tennessee. “HopeLine is about empowering survivors through community action and support.”

Verizon Wireless founded HopeLine in 2001 to turn no-longer used cell phones into support for victims of domestic violence. Devices that can be refurbished become lifelines for women escaping violent relationships. The company also recycles wireless devices, chargers and batteries that cannot be refurbished in an environmentally friendly way and uses the proceeds to fund domestic violence prevention efforts. The community can donate wireless devices to HopeLine by dropping them off at any Verizon Wireless location or by downloading a postage-paid label at VerizonWireless.com/HopeLine[1].