CAEPV RECEIVES $30,000 DONATION FROM HOPELINE FROM VERIZON TO ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS WORKPLACE ISSUE

I usually share something cool that happens to another organization courtesy of the companies that we work with here at the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV).  Today I am writing about a wonderful contribution we received to further our work to make domestic violence "Everybody's Business."

On November 30, 2010, Verizon Wireless announced that the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV) is receiving a $30,000 donation from HopeLine® from Verizon, aiding CAEPV in its mission to help businesses address the impact of domestic violence in the workplace. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), intimate partner violence victims lose a total of nearly 8 million days of paid work a year, the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs, and the cost of domestic violence to the U.S. economy is more than $8.3 billion. A 2005 national telephone survey by CAEPV found that 21 percent of full-time employed adults were victims of domestic violence and 64 percent of them indicated their work performance was significantly impacted.

The HopeLine from Verizon donation will help CAEPV fund educational programs and webinars that help increase employer awareness of domestic violence as a workplace issue and offer strategies for how employers can recognize and respond to this issue.

"Domestic violence can affect people of all backgrounds in all aspects of their lives, including the workplace," said Elva Lima, executive director of community relations for Verizon Wireless. "We're honored to partner with organizations like CAEPV that are working to increase awareness of domestic violence outside the home and providing much needed tools and resources to help reduce partner violence."

The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the costs and consequences of partner violence at work – and eliminating it altogether. From policies and programs to legal issues and legislation, CAEPV is a credible source for information, materials and advice.

"We are very grateful to receive this donation from Verizon Wireless and for their ongoing dedication to preventing domestic violence both within the workplace and in communities," said Kim Wells, executive director of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence. "Domestic violence doesn't stop at the door when employees go to work, and the HopeLine donation allows us to further raise awareness and help workplaces manage this issue."

The long-running HopeLine program puts the nation's most reliable wireless network to work in the community by turning no-longer-used wireless phones into support for those affected by domestic violence. Proceeds from the HopeLine program are used to provide wireless phones and airtime to victims of domestic violence and cash grants to local shelters and nonprofit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention, awareness and advocacy. Learn more about HopeLine at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnkDUsmkQlk. 

For more information on HopeLine from Verizon, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline. To learn more about CAEPV, visit www.caepv.org. 

We are so excited to be able to invest these funds in changing the landscape of society by addressing domestic violence as a workplace issue.  More to come!