When three-time Latin Grammy Award winner Calle 13 hit the stage in New York City this week to introduce their latest SONY BMG album “Residente o Vistitante”, fans enjoyed more than just vibrant Latin hip hop music. Verizon Wireless, a major sponsor of
SONY BMG’s 2007 Latin Album Release Series and a recognized leader for its
commitment to preventing domestic violence, donated $5,000 to Sanctuary for
Families, offering integrated legal, clinical, shelter and economic
stability services exclusively to domestic violence victims in all five
boroughs of New York City.
   

The $5,000 HopeLine(R) grant was Verizon Wireless’ second in a series
of five earmarked for New York area domestic violence organizations in
conjunction with the SONY BMG Latin Album Series. The first SONY BMG
HopeLine donation came in February, when Mexican-based pop rock band La
Quinta Estacion launched its third album. Other SONY BMG artists in the
series who will join with Verizon Wireless to present HopeLine grants are
Jennifer Lopez in June, Alejandra Guzman in August and Alejandro Fernandez
in September.
   

“The SONY BMG album release series presents a perfect opportunity to
marry our Latino marketing efforts with our HopeLine community service
program,” said Rob Davis, associate director of marketing for the company’s
New York Metro region. “It is our hope that high profile events like these
will help us remove the shroud of silence surrounding domestic violence,
especially as it impacts the young people who follow these artists.”
   

Guests invited to each of the release parties are encouraged to bring
old, no-longer used wireless phones, batteries and accessories for donation
to the company’s HopeLine wireless phone recycling program. HopeLine
collects wireless phones and accessories from any wireless service
provider, and then refurbishes the phones or recycles them in an
environmentally sound manner.
   

Verizon Wireless was the first wireless carrier in the nation to
collect and recycle old cell phones and has done so since January 1999 –
first in New York and then across the U.S. Wireless phone donations
continue to be accepted at all Verizon Wireless Communications Store
locations in New York City, throughout the New York Metro area and across
the country.
   

Sanctuary for Families, the largest such agency in New York, is
committed to reaching out to the most underserved communities including the
City’s immigrant population. Because a large percentage of clients are
Latina, Sanctuary provides domestic violence victims and their children
with all direct services in Spanish. Spanish-language support groups offer
clients the opportunity to share experiences and gain strength from each
other.
   

“All of us at Sanctuary are enormously grateful for the commitment that
Verizon Wireless has made to domestic violence victims through its HopeLine
program,” said Laurel W. Eisner, Sanctuary’s Executive Director. “It has
truly been a lifeline for many victims, allowing them to get the help they
need and to feel less alone.”
   

Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine program has collected more than 3.5 million
wireless phones, and given more than $3 million in cash grants and nearly
40,000 phones to domestic violence prevention organizations. Local HopeLine
grants include $120,000 already donated to the New York City Family Justice
Center Initiative.
   

“Each of us can have an impact on someone’s life,” Davis said.
“Donating an old, unused cell phone is a simple act but it can help provide
support to victims who all too often suffer in silence.”
   

 In addition to a successful phone recycling program and funding for
non-profit domestic violence organizations, HopeLine includes free wireless
service and voice mailboxes for survivors, community and corporate
awareness initiatives, and a bilingual “Invest in Yourself” program
designed to help survivors re-enter the workforce.

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