Verizon Wireless Awards HopeLine Scholarships to Three Rutgers Students Attending the University's School of Social Work and Center on Violence Against Women & Children NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., June 25
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Rutgers University's School
of Social Work and its Center on Violence Against Women & Children received a
$200,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation Wednesday (June 25) to begin a
first-of-its kind certification program for social workers and other
professionals assisting domestic violence survivors.
The grant will establish the Violence Against Women Continuing Education
Program, which will create an interactive, Web-based curriculum to provide
continuing education and training.
"Throughout the state, social workers, emergency personnel and others give
of themselves daily to assist the victims of domestic violence; but
unfortunately, while well-intentioned, many have received little or no
professional training for addressing the severe problems domestic violence
survivors face," said Judy Postmus, director of the Center on Violence Against
Women & Children. "This certification program will give those workers an
opportunity to receive training and education in evidence-based, successful
practices to best serve those in need."
Through the program, participants can earn several levels of
certification: a foundation certificate, an advanced certificate, an advanced
clinical work certificate, and an advanced advocacy and nonprofit management
certificate.
"Domestic violence is a pervasive social issue that affects every segment
of our population," said Dennis Bone, president of Verizon New Jersey. "During
the past two years, the Verizon Foundation has committed nearly $10 million to
support domestic violence prevention efforts. Verizon is proud to partner with
Rutgers on this groundbreaking program."
The grant was announced at a ceremony at the Rutgers University Student
Center. New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram was the keynote speaker.
Also at the event, Melanie van der Valk, Verizon Wireless Northeast area
vice president of marketing and sales operations, recognized the first group
of Verizon Wireless HopeLine(R) Scholars. HopeLine Scholarships will be
awarded annually to at least three Rutgers graduate students enrolled in the
School of Social Work's Master of Social Work specialization on violence
against women and children.
The first six scholarship winners are: Audrey Allred of Highland Park,
N.J.; Kristin Dunne of Pompton Plains, N.J.; Melissa Fogg, of Princeton,
N.J.; Rupa Khetarpal of Basking Ridge, N.J.; Amanda Mathisen of Skillman,
N.J.; and Shauna Simmons, of Lawrence, N.J.
The Verizon Wireless donation was made possible through the company's
HopeLine phone recycling program, which collects old, no-longer-used cell
phones at Verizon Wireless stores throughout New Jersey. The phones are
refurbished, recycled or sold, and the proceeds are donated to domestic
violence advocacy groups in the form of cash grants and prepaid wireless
phones for victims. Phones that cannot be refurbished are disposed of in an
environmentally friendly way.
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications,
supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its signature
program, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic
violence. In 2007, the foundation awarded more than $67.4 million in grants
to nonprofit agencies in the United States and abroad. The foundation also
matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting
in $25.1 million in combined contributions. 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
Verizon's inception in 2000.
For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizon.com/foundation.
Rutgers School of Social Work: Established in 1954, the School of Social
Work at Rutgers University has a distinguished record of instruction,
research, and public service. The school offers undergraduate and
graduate-professional degree programs, holds classes on Rutgers' three
regional campuses, and is affiliated with more than 800 social service
agencies throughout the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area. Established by
the School of Social Work in 2007, the mission of the Center on Violence
against Women & Children is to strive to eliminate physical, sexual, and other
forms of violence against women and children and the power imbalances that
permit them. This mission will be accomplished through the use of a
collaborative approach that focuses on multidisciplinary research, education,
and training that impacts communities and policy in New Jersey, the U.S., and
throughout the world. For more information, please visit
http://vawc.rutgers.edu
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a
leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication
innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.
Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving
more than 67 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations
include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business
solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings
customers the benefits of converged communications, information and
entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A
Dow 30 company, Verizon employed a diverse workforce of approximately 232,000
as of the end of the first quarter 2008 and last year generated consolidated
operating revenues of $93.5 billion. For more information, visit
www.verizon.com.
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SOURCE Verizon
