MORRISTOWN, N.J., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Morris County residents donated more than 1,200 no-longer-used wireless phones to the Verizon Wireless HopeLine(R) phone recycling program so far this year earning the County the title of 'Number One HopeLine Recycler' in Northern New Jersey. Leading the County were residents who made their donations at the Verizon Wireless Communications Store on Route 10 in Succasunna.

A total of 12,000 phones have been donated at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in the New York/New Jersey metro area and at more than 500,000 at locations across the country this year.

In addition to helping to protect the environment, donating wireless phones can provide a lifeline to people in need. No-longer-used wireless phones, collected at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores throughout the New York Metro area, are refurbished, recycled or sold and the proceeds are donated to domestic violence advocacy groups or used to purchase wireless phones for domestic violence survivors. Phones that cannot be refurbished are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

"New wireless phones are introduced almost every day and studies show that consumers upgrade and replace their phones about every 18 months," said Charles Hand, president of Verizon Wireless' New York Metro Region. "By donating their old wireless phones and accessories to Verizon Wireless HopeLine, Morris County residents are making a difference in the lives of women and children who may very well be their own friends and neighbors. No offense shakes individual security more than violence in the home."

Since 1999, consumers have donated nearly three million used wireless phones to benefit domestic violence survivors and advocacy groups, including nearly 150,000 wireless handsets in the New York Metro area. Locally, donations have helped provide phones and funding to Jersey Battered Women's Services, Morris County's lead domestic violence agency. During the past three years, using funds generated by the HopeLine program, Verizon Wireless' New York Metro Region awarded nine HopeLine grants, totaling $90,000, to domestic violence prevention groups to fund new or expanded programs.

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.

Donations are accepted at all Verizon Wireless Communications Stores including the following Morris County locations: 399 Route 10 East in East Hanover, 321 Mount Hope Avenue in Rockaway, and 275 Route 10 East in Succasunna. For additional information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 54.8 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, 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 .

CONTACT: David Samberg, +1-845-365-7212,
david.samberg@verizonwireless.com; Lynette Viviani, +1-973-283-9228,
lynette.Viviani@vivianipr.com

Web site: http://www.verizonwireless.com/
http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia