Company’s HopeLine Program Expects to Provide More Than 22,000 Wireless Phones in 2008

Media Contact Info

Debra Lewis
Debra.Lewis@VerizonWireless.com
908-559-7512

10/01/2008

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine® program puts the nation’s most reliable wireless network to work by turning unused wireless phones into support for victims of domestic violence. This year, the company expects to put 22,000 wireless phones in the hands of domestic violence agencies for use with victims, giving them more than 66 million minutes of service they can use to communicate with family, friends, shelter support staff and employers as they rebuild their lives.

Since 2001, HopeLine’s national phone recycling and reuse program has collected more than 5.3 million phones; awarded more than $5.6 million in cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations throughout the country; and by the end of this year, will have donated more than 80,000 HopeLine phones with 240 million minutes of airtime to victims, survivors and domestic violence organizations.

Today marks the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Consumers who wish to donate their no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories to Verizon Wireless’ exclusive HopeLine program throughout the month and year-round can drop off their donations in any condition from any service provider at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide. Verizon Wireless encourages everyone who plans to give a phone to HopeLine to make sure service on that device is discontinued and to erase any personal data on the phone. Phones given to the HopeLine program are refurbished and resold for reuse or disposed of in an environmentally-sound manner.

For more information on Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine program, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 68.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 70,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: 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 www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.