BISMARCK, N.D., Oct. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Abused Adult Resource Center (AARC) announced today the donation of a new cargo van to aid the nonprofit agency's efforts in operating its unique Seeds of Hope Thrift & Gift Store and in serving domestic victims in a seven-county region in south-central North Dakota. The donation came through a $32,000 grant from the HopeLine^® from Verizon program.

Cary Degenstein, Government Associate Director for Verizon Wireless, presented the keys to the 2014 Chevrolet cargo van to AARC Executive Director Diane Zainhofsky during the AARC's annual luncheon meeting of  PULSE, a community task force focused on violence prevention in the Bismarck-Mandan area. North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, and Bismarck Mayor Mike Seminary joined in the van donation ceremony.

"We are grateful to Verizon for the company's generosity and commitment to preventing domestic violence both in North Dakota and across the country," said Zainhofsky.  "We are thrilled to have a new van to provide needed transportation services for our programs."

The new van will replace an older van used by the Seeds of Hope for its operations such as moving store merchandise. The van also will be used to help victims and their families when they move from AARC's shelters into their own housing. Many victims have no transportation or any resources to be able to move their household and other goods.

The Seeds of Hope store, located at 510 Main Street, opened in 1995 after community donations of household items and clothing overwhelmed AARC's annual rummage sales. Today, the Seeds of Hope is a unique store that serves as a vital part of AARC's funding, generating about 21 percent of the agency's overall revenue to fund programs serving victims.

In addition, New Directions – a training and education program for women who have survived domestic violence and need on-the-job training as a means to find employment – is located at Seeds of Hope. The store also has an economic impact on the community, currently employing 26 people.

"The success of the Seeds of Hope shows how much the community supports our mission," says Zainhofsky. "We receive tremendous donations from the community, who then turn around and purchase the donated goods from Seeds of Hope."

Police Chief Donlin Receives Award
In other PULSE business today, Stenehjem joined Zainhofsky in presenting Bismarck Police Chief Dan Donlin AARC's annual Sgt. Steve Kenner Lifesaver Award. The award goes to a law enforcement officer who shows exemplary work with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The award is named in honor of Kenner, a Bismarck policeman killed in the line of duty in 2011.

Chief Donlin has been instrumental in continuing the collaborative effort by law enforcement in this community to ensure victims of domestic violence receive both justice and prompt services. He has led his department in bridging the gap in services for victims between the AARC and law enforcement. Donlin also has been instrumental in maintaining a victim-center coordinated community response protocol.

Verizon Wireless has supported domestic violence awareness and prevention efforts over the last decade, including in the Bismarck-Mandan area, through the company's award-winning HopeLine^® phone recycling program.  Through HopeLine, Verizon Wireless collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories, in any condition, from any wireless service provider. Phones that can be refurbished are sold for reuse and those without value are disposed of in an environmentally sound way. All proceeds benefit non-profit shelters and organizations that focus on domestic violence awareness and prevention. For more information visit:  www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

For more information on how to donate items to the Seeds of Hope Thrift Store, call 701-222-8895. For more information about the AARC, call 701-222-8370 or go to the AARC website at www.abusedadultresourcecenter.com.  To reach AARC's toll-free 24-hour crisis line, call 1-866-341-7009.  

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141028/155064

SOURCE Abused Adult Resource Center; Verizon Wireless