Mobile phone company collecting smartphones to help victims of domestic violence
- 20 Oct
Verizon Wireless have launched a state-wide drive in America to collect 3,000 no longer used wireless phones, accessories and tablets to help benefit victims of domestic violence.
The drive will run through to the end of November and coincides with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The organisers believe that donated phones will help victims of domestic violence feel safer and less isolated as they'll have a way to call emergency or support services, family, friends and employers.
"Verizon Wireless' goal is to place phones in the hands of as many domestic violence survivors across Michigan as possible so they can call for help when needed," said Verizon Wireless Region President Lauren Love-Wright, in a release. "Our customers are crucial in helping us make this happen," reports CBS Detroit.
The donated phones will be given to HopeLine will have 3,000 minutes of wireless service and text-messaging services on them. Local domestic violence agencies, local government agencies and law enforcement agencies will use the devices with their domestic violence clients.
To date in 2014, Verizon has given grants totalling more than $108,000 for domestic violence prevention and response in Kentucky. Since HopeLine was launched in 2001, the program has collected more than 10.8 million phones nationwide, awarded more than $21.4 million in cash grants and distributed more than 180,000 phones with nearly 544 million free minutes and 207 million text messages to shelters for use by survivors. Donated devices that cannot be refurbished and resold are disposed of in accordance with Verizon's zero-landfill policy, reports Market Watch.
Do you think something similar could happened here in the UK? Let us know in the comments.
This blog post has been written by our sister company The Media Bubble who specialise in social media for the social sector.
Image source: http://www.freeimages.com/photo/1438234
Related articles
- 08 Sep
People in Leeds call to tackle domestic violence
Leaders from private, public and third sectors gathered for the Voice of Leeds Summit and discussed what they could do to tackle domestic violence, reports the Yorkshire Evening Post.Over the past...
- 04 Sep
Plans to tackle domestic violence in Bury
Research by Bury Council’s domestic violence and abuse steering group has found that there was an average of ten incidents a day in the past year from April 2015, reports the Bury Times.Town hall...
- 28 Aug
Domestic violence levels in Northern Ireland at highest
Police have said that the number of reports of domestic violence are continuing to rise, and from April 2014 to April 2015 there was a 5.6% increase, report U TV. Ulster University is set to release...
- 16 Jul
Welfare reforms could make it harder for domestic violence victims to leave their homes
Service director for Newcastle Women’s Aid Elaine Langshawe has said that welfare reforms are making it harder for domestic violence victims to leave their partners, reports the Chronicle Live.Ms...
- 15 Jul
Support for domestic violence survivors provided by local charities
A contract worth £1.2m a year has been obtained by Women’s Aid Integrated Services, Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid and Equation, reports Impact Nottingham. This contract uses funds from...
- 13 Jul
New fund to support victims of domestic violence
The fund will be open to proposals from local partnerships that show how the needs of victims are able to be met in innovative ways, reports 24dash. It has also been revealed that there will be a...
- 03 Jul
Domestic violence campaign launched in Sandwell
Run by charity Fry Housing Trust, Sandwell Council and Sandwell’s Domestic Abuse Strategic Partnership, the ‘Brighter Futures’ scheme will be running over the next two years, reports ITV...
- 24 Jun
Wolverhampton police see thousands of domestic violence reports
It has been reported that an average of sixteen incidents of domestic violence were recorded each day in Wolverhampton over the last year, reports the Express and Star.Of the 5,900 incidents reported...
- 15 Jun
UK’s approach to domestic violence called ‘incoherent’
A leaked copy of an official report by the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, Rashida Manjoo, has called for an urgent inquiry into Yarl’s Wood and a focus on repeated allegations...
- 10 Jun
Domestic violence to be highlighted in new film by students and police in Sunderland
The first year media students and third year drama students at the University of Sunderland have created four short films that cover financial, emotional, physical and sexual forms of domestic abuse,...
How to Fund Housing Support and Social Care Sevices Extremely informative, excellent speaker. Alison Halstead - Riverside ECHG
