This holiday season, Verizon (News - Alert) Wireless reminded consumers to donate their no-longer-used wireless phones to the company's HopeLine phone recycling program to support victims of domestic violence.

 

Through their recycling program, Verizon collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition, from any wireless service provider, at the company's Communications Stores across the country.

 

While the phones that can be refurbished are sold for reuse, the devices without value are disposed of in an environmentally sound way. The company uses the funds generated from the HopeLine program to provide wireless phones and cash grants to local shelters and other non-profit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention and awareness.

 

Launched in 2001, HopeLine's national phone recycling and re-use program has till date collected more than four million phones and awarded more than $4 million in cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations throughout the country. Through this initiative, Verizon has also distributed over 45,000 phones with more than 100 million minutes of free wireless service to be used by victims of domestic violence.

 

Verizon Wireless has reportedly supported domestic violence education, prevention and awareness initiatives for 12 years. Today's multi-faceted program began with donations to voicemail boxes to women and men living in shelters.