Phones donated on behalf of county employees

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Cameron Hutcherson from Verizon Wireless presented a $10,000 check to HAVEN on Tuesday on behalf of Oakland County employees to thank them for participating in the company's Hopeline program. Hopeline from Verizon collects no-longer-used wireless phones and accessories and turns them into support for domestic violence organizations like HAVEN. Oakland County employees donated 872 phones to Hopeline. "As county executive, I've witnessed how big the hearts of Oakland County employees are," Patterson said. "Thank you to Verizon Wireless for recognizing their generosity with this substantial donation to HAVEN and providing a vital link for victims of these heinous crimes." From October to January, Oakland County's Facilities Management Department placed boxes in strategic locations around the government campus so employees could drop off their no-longer-used cell phones for Hopeline. The county packaged up the donated phones and shipped them to Verizon Wireless. Once refurbished, the phones can help victims of abuse feel safer and less isolated by giving them a way to call emergency or support services, employers, family members, and friends. The phones are provided with 3,000 minutes of service to local domestic violence organizations or law enforcement agencies for use with their domestic violence clients. "HopeLine from Verizon wouldn't be as successful as it is without the generous support of organizations like Oakland County," said Cameron Hutcherson, business sales manager for Verizon Wireless. "In addition to donating grants and phones with airtime to worthy nonprofits, like HAVEN, HopeLine also helps our environment. Since 2001, our program has recycled 1.7 million wireless phones and kept more than 260 tons of electronic waste and batteries out of landfills." Beth Morrison, president & chief executive officer of HAVEN, accepted the donation on behalf of the non-profit organization whose mission is to eliminate domestic violence and sexual assault through advocacy and social change in and around Oakland County. "One in three Michigan homes is affected by domestic or sexual violence and in Oakland County alone, it is estimated that 150,000 women, children and families know firsthand how it feels to be unsafe in their own homes" said Morrison. "Because of programs like HopeLine and caring citizens like Brooks Patterson and employees of Oakland County, we can give those in crisis access to a safe place that can help them heal from and restore lives in the aftermath of abuse." For additional information about Hopeline, go to http://aboutus.verizonwireless.com/commitment/community_programs/hopeline/. To learn more about HAVEN, click on HAVEN-Oakland.org. Published: Thu, Mar 28, 2013