LAUREL, Md., Dec. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Much has changed in the past two decades since Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed into law the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), but there is one constant:  Verizon Wireless' unwavering commitment to addressing domestic violence and delivering help to the nearly one in four women, one in seven men and more than 3 million children in the United States who are affected by domestic violence.

Through HopeLine, Verizon's signature philanthropy program, the company helps domestic violence victims become survivors by collecting no-longer-used wireless phones and turning them into cash support for organizations nationwide. Since the HopeLine program began in 2001, 10.8 million+ phones have been collected for recycling; 180,000+ phones with wireless minutes and text messaging service have been donated; $21.4 million+ has been awarded in grants to service providers nationwide; and 260 tons+ of electronic waste and batteries have been kept out of landfills.

This year alone in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia, Verizon Wireless has awarded nearly $700,000 in HopeLine grants to 23 non-profit organizations across the region, providing much-needed funding for a variety of innovative prevention strategies, including:

• School-based dating violence curricula–Dating behaviors and patterns for healthy relationships are learned at a young age, often in middle school. Verizon's HopeLine grants to Maryland's Montgomery County Family Justice Center and DC-based Men Can Stop Rape and 100 Fathers Inc. are helping to educate thousands of area students through educational programs and extra-curricular activities that help them explore healthy relationships and educate their peers on acceptable behaviors.
• Campus Sexual Assault Prevention Awareness and Education–Recent events at U-Va have made this issue headline news, and data demonstrate a high prevalence of rape on college campuses, with one in five female students reporting being assaulted while in college. Verizon's HopeLine grants were awarded to Becky's Fund in Washington, DC for its National College Campus Tour and to UMBC in Catonsville, MD to expand resources and tools, including making the online educational survey Haven available to all new and freshman students.
• Engaging Men – HopeLine provided funding to DC-based Men Can Stop Rape to bring its proven Campus Conversations on Healthy Masculinity to a dozen universities across the region to help engage males in the prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault. Campus Conversations are led by trained facilitators who bring community members and students together to create an action plan which identifies concrete steps to take to promote healthy masculinity, build stronger and healthier communities and improve lives.
• Leveraging Social Media –Recognizing how the Internet can give voice to victims and connect those who are isolated to resources, the Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence which serves Maryland's Eastern Shore community and beyond received a HopeLine grant to expand its social media engagement to include Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, as well as a revamped website, resulting in increased reach, referrals and assistance.
• Hospital-based Prevention– Doctors and nurses are often the first to treat domestic violence victims. Verizon HopeLine grants to Children's National Child and Adolescent Protection Center, for example, will help medical professionals recognize and treat victims and connect patients to additional resources in the community to help break the cycle of violence.

The public is encouraged to help continue the legacy of HopeLine support by donating no-longer-used cell phones, batteries and accessories to the recycling program.  Donations to HopeLine can be made in any Verizon Wireless store or by mail using a free postage-paid label, which can be found at:  http://www.verizonwireless.com/aboutus/hopeline/get-involved.html

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.  As the largest wireless company in the U.S., Verizon Wireless serves 106.2 million retail customers, including 100.1million retail postpaid customers.  Verizon Wireless is wholly owned by Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com.  For the latest news and updates about Verizon Wireless, visit our News Center at http://www.verizonwireless.com/news or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNews. 

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SOURCE Verizon Wireless