Outdated Telephones Equal New Hope

Based on the Nationwide Intimate Companion and Sexual Violence Survey
carried out by the CDC, about 20 folks per minute are victims of intimate accomplice
violence in the USA. This equals greater than 10 million ladies and men who’ve been impacted by home violence over the course of a yr.

by Tracy Achen 

To place this extra in perspective, home violence impacts almost 1 in 4
ladies, 1 in 9 males and greater than 3 million youngsters in the USA. These
numbers underscore the necessity for home violence help providers, prevention
applications, and assist for the victims.

Serving to Abuse Survivors Keep Related

All through the years, there have been numerous providers which have labored to supply cell telephones to home violence survivors:

• Extra Than a Cellphone – Companions with home violence shelters to supply free good telephones and information. 
• Free Authorities Cell Telephones – Discover out about Lifeline and the Inexpensive Connectivity Program to see in the event you qualify for a free cellphone. 
• Verizon Hopeline – Partnered with home violence applications to supply free cell telephones to abuse victims.

HopeLine® from Verizon was a mission that supported quite a few home violence
applications and the folks they serve. By amassing beforehand owned cell telephones,
batteries, and equipment, they refurbished and recycled the gadgets,
holding them out of landfills. Proceeds have been then used to fund native shelters and
present sources to assist enhance consciousness of home violence and supply
sources for prevention and sufferer restoration.

Why Home Violence Victims Want Telephones

Having a cellphone could be a lifeline for victims of home violence. It allows them to contact family and friends, communicate with shelter and help providers, and name 911 if obligatory. To make this attainable, the Hopeline program distributed cell telephones by native shelters, law-enforcement businesses, and social service businesses to be used with their home violence shoppers.

The truth is, they offered greater than 180,000 telephones to home violence victims and survivors from 2001 to 2014 (this system stopped offering telephones on February 20, 2018). These telephones got here with 3000 anytime minutes of wi-fi service, together with text-messaging. Despite the fact that this system is now not lively, you may nonetheless name the Nationwide Home Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for added help and assist.

How the Hopeline Program Labored

Hopeline did not settle for financial donations, however slightly recycled previous telephones. Cash from refurbished telephones offered grants to numerous home violence applications. The truth is, Verizon granted greater than $20 million to numerous organizations supporting survivors of home violence by the years.

And over 180,000 telephones have been additionally donated to survivors of home through the course of this system. These telephones gave survivors a approach to hook up with the surface world which was past the management of their abuser. 

Verizon made donating telephones straightforward. Individuals have been in a position to deliver their previous cell telephones, batteries and equipment to their native
Verizon retailer and drop them within the assortment bins. They may additionally mail these
gadgets in by printing a postage-paid mailing label from Verizon. It did not
matter if the telephone was from a special supplier. Even when it was damaged; the
elements could possibly be recycled in an environmentally sound approach and used to generate funds
for this system. 

Individuals have been additionally in a position to sponsor a telephone drive of their group to gather used telephones.
Their help helped proceed to place cell telephones within the arms of home
violence victims and enhance sources and consciousness of home violence. 

Hopeline was a long-term effort

For these skeptical in regards to the motivation behind this system, relaxation assured this wasn’t a publicity stunt by Verizon. HopeLine has been an ongoing mission since 1995 when the corporate was referred to as Bell Atlantic Cell. Again then, this system donated wi-fi telephones for home violence victims and voicemail containers for ladies residing in shelters.

Since 2001, Verizon donated a whole lot of hundreds of telephones to victims and survivors of home abuse. Additionally they donated over $21 million in money grants to numerous home violence organizations and picked up over 10.8 million telephones to be refurbished or recycled. It was a win-win scenario for the surroundings and victims of home violence. 

We’re unhappy to see the tip of this system and hope one other cellphone supplier decides to do one thing related.

If you’re in an abusive relationship, these articles can assist:

1. 
   Divorce
   

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2. 
   Abusive Relationships
   

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3. 
   Hopeline Program