Verizon Wireless Launches 5th Annual 'Kids In Need Holiday Drive' in Connecticut

WALLINGFORD, Conn., Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- To make the holidays a little brighter for children living in domestic violence shelters, Verizon Wireless is conducting its annual 'Kids In Need Holiday Drive' for the fifth consecutive year at its Communications Stores throughout New England. Each store has 'adopted' a local domestic violence shelter in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, and will collect from the community new unwrapped toys, games, and books for children ranging in age from infants to teens.

Now through December 15th, the Verizon Wireless Communications Stores listed at the end of this release (with their individual shelter matches) will serve as drop-off points for the Kids In Need Holiday Drive. Verizon Wireless' chief community relations initiative is domestic violence awareness and prevention. The Kids In Need Holiday Drive is an extension of that initiative focused on children, the most innocent victims of domestic violence.

In an ongoing show of support, Connecticut television stations News Channel 8 (WTNH and UPN-9) have signed on as broadcast sponsors for this year's Kids In Need Holiday Drive.

"Unfortunately, there are many children who live in shelters with their mothers, having fled their homes because of domestic abuse. When they flee, most children just have the clothes on their back, often leaving a favorite toy, game or book behind," said Bob Stott, president of the New England Region for Verizon Wireless. "As a company we have a long-standing commitment of helping victims of domestic violence. This is one more way we can help -- particularly when agencies serving domestic violence victims tell us they need support this year more than ever."

Through its HopeLine(R) program, Verizon Wireless puts wireless phones, airtime and voice mailboxes to work to combat domestic violence. The company understands that domestic violence is an epidemic that devastates neighbors, friends and co-workers, and dedicates its resources to both the prevention of domestic violence and the life rebuilding process. As a result of HopeLine and related phone recycling programs, Verizon Wireless, in the last four years, has collected more than two million phones and donated $8 million in financial grants, phones and services to domestic violence organizations and advocacy groups across the country.

The following Verizon Wireless stores are accepting Kids In Need donations:

Store Street Phone Recipient Shelter Avon 530 Bushy Hill Road 860-651-4002 Safe Haven of (Route 44) Greater Waterbury Danbury 15 Federal Road 203-740-3700 Women's Center of (Brookfield) Greater Danbury Enfield 136 Elm Street 860-745-3300 Network Against Domestic Abuse/ Enfield Fairfield 1201 Kings Highway East 203-366-5200 Center for Women & Families/ Bridgeport Farmington West Farms Mall 860-521-1311 Interval House/Hartford Manchester 82D Buckland St. 860-643-1160 United Services (Burr Corners) Domestic Violence Program/ Willimantic and Dayville Meriden 470 Lewis Ave 203-639-9097 Meriden-Wallingford (Westfield Shopping Town) Chrysalis Milford Westfield Shopping Town 203-878-0133 Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven Newington 3219 Berlin Turnpike 860-666-9019 Prudence Crandall Center For Women/ New Britain North Haven 91 Washington Avenue 203-239-0000 Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven Norwalk 48 Westport Avenue 203-840-0021 Center for Women & Families/Bridgeport Old Saybrook 105 Elm St. 860-388-1106 Domestic Violence (next to Stop & Shop) Valley Shore Services/Westbrook Orange 116 Boston Post Road 203-795-6259 The Umbrella/Ansonia Stamford 972 High Ridge Rd. 203-968-6116 Stamford Town Center 203-325-3282 Domestic Abuse Services/Greenwich YWCA Torrington 1891 East Main Street 860-496-7778 Susan B. Anthony Project Trumbull Trumbull Mall 203-374-6012 Center for Women & Families/Bridgeport Waterford Crystal Mall 860-405-2200 Women's Center of Southeastern CT West Hartford Corbins Corner 860-313-5200 Interval House/Hartford About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 49.3 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com/. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.