Verizon is one of the largest corporate contributors in Texas, having provided more than $2 million in Verizon Foundation grants, contributions, sponsorships and memberships in 2008. 

In addition, Verizon employees volunteered more than 46,200 hours to nonprofit groups throughout the state.

Our philanthropy is focused primarily on education, literacy and domestic violence prevention. We fund grants from a wide variety of organizations, including school districts and universities, multicultural groups and hospitals, children's organizations, and those assisting victims of domestic violence.

Our commitment to our friends, neighbors, and business partners in Texas will remain strong in the future.

Now that's a "Thank You" Note!

Snook ISD in Bryan Texas is displaying this banner, made by students thanking Verizon for the school supplies donated during the "Tools for School Campaign."  To show the reach and impact of the Verizon donation, every signature on this banner is from a child who personally was helped by the school supply drive.

Learn more about the "Tools for Schools" program.

Verizon announced a grant for $8,500 to support dyslexia training for staff and parents in the Keller Independent School District.

From left, Karl Gneiting, Verizon; and representing Keller ISD are:  Tom Frank, Dale Hart, Mellie Joyner, Melody Kohout, Mark Hafner and Debbie Barton.

Read the press release

A $9,800 grant from Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, enabled the library to purchase Early Literacy Stations to create an early learning literacy center for children, providing computers and top-rated early learning educational software titles.

Photo by Colleyville Public Library

 Read the press release

Representatives from Verizon employee resource groups and their families volunteered one Saturday to welcome American Servicemen and Servicewomen at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. 

Employees at Verizon's Hidden Ridge offices in Irving, Texas, were honored at a recent volunteer appreciation event.

More than 130 non-profit organizations received Volunteer Incentive Grants last year, thanks to the efforts of some 175 Verizon Volunteers who work in the facility -- individuals and teams supporting those causes and communities most important to them.

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About Verizon Volunteers

The Check Into Literacy program allows Verizon's landline telephone customers to support literacy by checking a box on their monthly phone bills to make a $1 tax-deductible donation to promote literacy throughout the United States. Verizon then distributes these donations to local literacy organizations that serve the state the customers live in.

Read the press release.

Featured grants from 2008 include:

North Texas Future Fund - Irving - $100,000 to increase the current network of literacy providers working in partnership with the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County.

Texas Computer Education Association - Austin - $70,500 to raise awareness and train teachers throughout Texas on the use of Thinkfinity.org, Verizon's free educational resource Web site.

Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange - $24,500 to implement a new client case-management system.   

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic - $24,000 for education materials in recorded and computerized formats for learning-disabled students. 

The Salvation Army - Dallas - $20,000 for disaster recovery efforts in the Houston area and across Texas in the wake of Hurricane Ike. 

Friends of the Keller Library - $20,000 to create learning centers that will feature Thinkfinity.org.

Women's Shelter of South Texas - Corpus Christi - $20,000 to provide free counseling services and support for domestic violence survivors.

Boys and Girls Club of Collin County - $20,000 to fund an Internet safety program for the club's youth.

SafeHaven of Tarrant County - $15,000 to fund an awareness project to educate the community about domestic violence and the services the shelter provides to survivors of domestic violence.

Christian Community Action - $14,000 to fund advanced English-as-a-second-language courses utilizing interactive computer technology.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational Web site, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence.  In 2008, the Verizon Foundation awarded more than $68 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad.  It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in an additional $26 million in combined contributions to nonprofits.

Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

Thinkfinity.org

Thinkfinity, 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.

Learn more at http://www.thinkfinity.org.