At Verizon Washington DC, every outreach program and initiative we undertake centers around our core belief: the power of communications technologies to change lives. Our efforts are rooted in a century-old tradition of giving back to the communities we serve, guided by the firm belief that technology can have a profound and positive effect on social issues. Verizon Washington, DC manages a strategic outreach program designed to maximize its impact by reaching all residents and businesses within the District of Columbia. The program focuses on:
Technology education for residents, with a particular focus on youth
literacy and domestic violence prevention;
Consumer education;
Employee volunteer programs that support civic and community service.
Working with the Telephone Pioneers, D.C. government, non-profit organizations and corporate partners our External Affairs team has designed and implemented community outreach programs that serve a broad spectrum of community and educational-based organizations across the District of Columbia.
Every year Verizon Washington, DC conducts more than a hundred visits to non-profit organizations, civic association meetings, ANC meetings, and community events throughout the city's eight wards to educate DC residents on the programs and services available to them. This includes such programs as Verizon DC's Economy II Service, Message B Service, Child Internet Safety and Check Into Literacy.
If you are interested in having a Verizon representative attend your community meeting please contact Mario Acosta-Velez at mario.acosta-velez@verizon.com.
In addition to the grants, Verizon employees volunteered nearly 60,000 hours to nonprofit groups throughout Maryland and D.C. in 2011. The Verizon Foundation supports employee volunteerism by awarding a $750 grant to a nonprofit organization when a Verizon employee volunteers 50 hours or more to the organization during the year. Read the press release.
Programs and organizations that the Verizon Foundation supported in 2011 include:
Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League, for outreach to help teenagers understand the importance of respectful, healthy dating relationships and the warning signs of abusive ones.
Ayuda, for its Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program, which provides information on available protections and services for immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
University of the District of Columbia, to support scholarships for needy students and the development of those students under the Verizon Scholars Program, which encourages high academic achievement, degree completion, post-baccalaureate education and peer mentoring.
My Sister's Place, to provide nearly 11,000 meals to domestic violence survivors in the Nation's Capital.
Featured Events and Grants
Low-Income Immigrant Domestic Violence Survivors in Washington Metropolitan Area Get Much-Needed Emotional and Legal Support With $10,000 Verizon Foundation Grant to Ayuda
The funding will support Ayuda?s Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program, which provides information on available protections and services for immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The program also aims to increase survivors? safety and self-sufficiency through comprehensive services that are linguistically and culturally appropriate.
Ayuda and Verizon Present "Telling Amy's Story" at Carlos Rosario
On November 16, Verizon and Ayuda presented a domestic violence community awareness event in the Hispanic community in Washington, DC. Ayuda is the leading organization providing domestic violence programs and services in the Hispanic and multi-cultural communities. The event was held at the Carlos Rosario School and had an impressive attendance of 300 residents from the Hispanic and other communities.
The program included a screening of the video "Telling Amy's Story" followed by an educational panel of experts representing legal services, shelter services, counseling, and other services for victims of domestic violence.
Mario Acosta-Velez, Director of Public Affairs for Verizon DC introduces the screening of "Telling Amy's Story" at Carlos Rosario School.
Collaborating organizations included: My Sister’s Place, la Clinica del Pueblo, WEAVE, El Zol radio, SAFE, Family Place, the Latino Federation and The Honorable Judge Jose Lopez-DC Superior Court Domestic Violence Division.
"Telling Amy's Story," is a documentary about a Verizon Wireless employee, Amy Homan McGee, who was murdered by her estranged husband in 2001. The video was created to raise awareness of domestic violence and is airing on PBS TV stations nationwide. A complete listing of local stations and times is available at http://telling.psu.edu/.
Howard University and Verizon Raising Red Flags for Awareness of Dating Violence
Students, faculty and administrators gathered at Howard University to launch the Red Flag Campaign, an award-winning program designed to curb incidents of dating violence. The campaign is being sponsored with a $5,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation.
"The Yeardley Love tragedy was a wake-up call for all of us who work with young people," said Barbara Griffin, Ph.D., vice president for student affairs at Howard University. "What we like so much about the
Red flags covered the Howard campus to raise awareness of dating violence.
Red Flag Campaign is that it challenges students to watch out for friends who may be involved in an unhealthy relationship. Our message is: 'When you see a red flag, speak up.'"
The Red Flag Campaign was developed in 2007 by college students, college personnel and community victim advocates to explore the nature of dating relationships on college campuses and to identify the hallmarks of healthy relationships versus abusive ones. The campaign appears on more than 100 college campuses across the U.S., including the University of Maryland College Park, and Howard and Georgetown universities in Washington, D.C.
The Campaign receives funding from the Verizon Foundation and Verizon Wireless' HopeLine® program. Through the HopeLine® program, no-longer-used wireless phones – all models, from all wireless carriers – are collected and accessories are refurbished, recycled or sold. Proceeds benefit victims of domestic violence through grants and the donation of wireless phones and service.
The Verizon Foundation uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention.
This powerful documentary chronicles the time leading up to the death of Amy Homan McGee, a mother of two, who was shot and killed by her husband. Hosted by actress and advocate Mariska Hargitay, and told by Detective Deirdri Fishel, Telling Amy's Story follows the timeline of a domestic violence homicide that occurred on November 8, 2001. Learn more.
The Network Effect
Environmental stewardship is ingrained in Verizon's heritage, and the company prides itself on having a positive influence on the environment. We work to reduce our impact on the environment by conserving energy, recycling and developing greener products.
Thinkfinity.org, the Verizon Foundation's signature digital learning platform is designed to improve educational and literacy achievement. Thinkfinity reflects our goal of truly making a difference in the lives of students, teachers, families and the communities in which they live and work.
We are doing this by supporting quality educational resources and programs that enable lifelong learning and growth.
We are fortunate that our Content and Literacy Partners in this endeavor are the premier organizations in seven K-12 academic subjects and in literacy instruction, along with outstanding organizations and institutions across the country that serve as Rollout Partners to take Thinkfinity into schools, literacy programs and communities nationwide. Through our collaboration and work, we deliver the highest quality, standards-based and research-based educational and literacy resources to teachers, instructors and students.
Verizon is leading the way with educational material, parental controls and other tools to manage content and usage on your family's computer, TV and wireless phones.
A leader in fiber optics, Verizon offers phone, Internet, TV, wireless and service bundles to residential, business, government and wholesale clients.
Volunteers Make the Difference
