Give back during the holiday season with Hopeline from Verizon Wireless

BASKING RIDGE, N. J. – In the spirit of holiday giving, Verizon Wireless encourages consumers to give a meaningful gift to help victims and survivors of domestic violence. By donating and recycling no-longer-used phones and other wireless devices through Verizon Wireless’ award-winning HopeLine® program, consumers can make a positive impact on the lives of many who are affected by this social issue.

One in four women, one in nine men and more than 3 million children are affected by domestic violence.  And according to the Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence, Asian-American women experience higher rates of intimate partner violence than their counterparts, with 41-61 percent of Asian-American women report being affected by abuse.

For more than a decade, Verizon Wireless has been committed to breaking the cycle of domestic violence.  HopeLine from Verizon puts the nation’s most reliable network to use in the community by turning old cell phones into support for domestic violence victims and survivors. These phones serve as a vital link to emergency or support services or as a safe connection to family and friends.

“Many consumers upgrade or get new wireless phones during the holiday season, making it the perfect time to help individuals in need, as well as protect the environment,” said Elva Lima, executive director of community relations and multicultural communications.  “Donating a no-longer-used phone to HopeLine is a simple, yet impactful, way to help domestic violence victims and survivors.”

Through HopeLine, Verizon Wireless accepts no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any service provider. Customers can donate their phones by dropping them off at any Verizon Wireless Communications Store or mailing them using the postage-paid shipping label to mail them in, and the company will dispose of these devices in an environmentally sound way.

As part of the refurbishing process, all phones donated to HopeLine are reviewed to ensure customer information is removed. Verizon Wireless also recommends that consumers erase their information in wireless phones before donating their devices to the HopeLine program. Here are some easy tips on wiping a phone:

Ensure that the phone’s service and account have been terminated by contacting the wireless provider’s customer support department.

Log out of all social networking sites, email accounts, wireless networks and applications to erase all evidence of password information.

Erase contacts from address books, delete call logs, erase messages, and remove stored photos, videos and other media. This can be done manually; in addition, check the phone’s manual on the device’s website to find out how to reset the device back to its factory settings.

Remove and store the device’s SIM/memory card in a safe place.

Since the launch of HopeLine’s national cell phone recycling and reuse program in 2001, Verizon Wireless has collected more than eight million phones, donated more than $10 million in cash grants for domestic violence organizations across the country and more than 106,000 HopeLine phones with the equivalent of more than 319 million minutes of wireless service for use by victims and survivors.  HopeLine has also properly disposed of more than 1.7 million phones, keeping more than 210 tons of electronic waste out of landfills.

For more information or find out how to donate wireless devices through HopeLine, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.