Verizon Donates $100,000 to North Carolina Domestic Violence Programs

Oct. 22, 2013, RALEIGH, N.C. /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon announces more than $100,000 in grants to domestic violence prevention efforts across North Carolina. The funds will support programs that educate youth and men about healthy relationships and domestic violence with a goal of stopping the cycle of abuse.

Attorney General Roy Cooperreportsⁱ a 15 percent increase in North Carolina domestic violence deaths in 2012. During October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), victim care agencies across the state work to drive home the need for change.

"We absolutely recognize that interpersonal violence is a major issue in our society and recognize the importance of training young men to be a part of the solution.  We are thrilled to partner with Verizon to address this critical issue through the Healthy Men Project, a multi-level campus intervention that aims to promote healthy masculinity and recruit men for involvement in UNC-Chapel Hill's violence prevention efforts," said Winston B. Smith vice chancellor of student affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"Verizon believes individuals can reverse the negative trends in family violence and sexual assault," said Jerry Fountain, president for Verizon's Carolinas/Tennessee region. "This investment in prevention initiatives is a symbol of our ongoing commitment to ending the cycle of violence in our communities."

In addition to UNC Chapel Hill, the following organizations benefitted from Verizon Foundation grants:

• Cleveland County Abuse Prevention Councilⁱⁱ, Shelby
• Domestic Violence Shelter and Servicesⁱⁱⁱ, Wilmington
• InterAct^iv, Raleigh
• Safe Alliance^v, Charlotte
• The Wellness Center at UNC Greensboro^vi

For more than a decade, Verizon, through its various business units and its philanthropic foundation, has been a champion of ending domestic violence.  For more information on the Verizon Foundation, please visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

The Verizon Foundation helps people to live healthy, safe and independent lives by addressing disparities in education, healthcare 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 6.8 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 more than 100 million retail 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. A Dow 30 company with nearly $116 billion in 2012 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of 180,900. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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ⁱhttp://www.ncdoj.gov/News-and-Alerts/News-Releases-and-Advisories/Press-Releases/Domestic-violence-killed-122-North-Carolinians-in.aspx
ⁱⁱhttp://apcouncil.wordpress.com/
ⁱⁱⁱhttp://www.domesticviolence-wilm.org/
^ivhttp://www.interactofwake.org/
^vhttp://www.safealliance.org/
^vihttp://shs.uncg.edu/wellness

SOURCE Verizon Foundation