HopeLine® from Verizon Introduces Mobile App for Android™ Smartphones and Tablets

HopeLine® from Verizon recently launched a new mobile tool, the HopeLine app, to further aid in its ongoing mission to support victims of domestic violence. Through this new app, individuals suffering from domestic violence will have quick access to resources and assistance in a time of need. Users can connect directly to the National Domestic Violence Hotline (The Hotline) for crisis intervention, information or referrals using #HOPE.

In addition, the HopeLine app will serve as an online community for those looking to share their inspirational stories of survival and volunteers looking to discuss their own outreach efforts. Photos and videos can be directly shared through the app, giving users the ability to engage with others who are involved in domestic violence awareness.

For users who want to offer their support, the HopeLine app makes it easy for wireless users to donate no-longer-used wireless phones and accessories to HopeLine, Verizon Wireless' national cell phone recycling program. Using location-based technology, the app guides users to the nearest Verizon Wireless Communications Store, where they can easily drop off devices and accessories for donation. Cash donations to the cause are also possible through the text-to-donate option; customers can now make a donation of $10 to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) directly from their mobile devices.

"With the HopeLine app, we are giving necessary resources to victims seeking help, as well as individuals looking to get involved," said Elva Lima, executive director of community relations and multicultural communications at Verizon Wireless. "Wireless phones and technology can serve as a vital lifeline for those who need support, and we are putting the power of our network and devices in the hands of those who need it."

For more than a decade, HopeLine from Verizon has raised awareness of domestic violence, providing hope to victims and survivors who have experienced its detrimental effects and has engaged the public in a nationwide conversation on the issue. HopeLine collects no-longer-used wireless phones and accessories and puts them to work in communities by helping victims and survivors of domestic violence. Donated devices and accessories are turned into support to help victims of domestic violence through the use of cash grants and refurbished phones.

 Since 2001, HopeLine has donated nearly 123,000 phones to domestic violence organizations across the country. No-longer-used phones collected through HopeLine have also been recycled to fund more than $14.2 million in cash grants for organizations working to end domestic violence.

The HopeLine app can be downloaded on a wide range of Android smartphones and tablets from Verizon Apps, from the Verizon Wireless online Media Store and Google Play.

There is no charge to download the app, but a Verizon Wireless data plan is required and usage may count toward a customer's data allowance.

For more information about HopeLine from Verizon, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.  

Registration Now Open: Verizon Wireless "Train the Trainer" Webinar December 15, 2011

We are delighted to present our third webinar "Domestic Violence and the Workplace: Verizon Wireless’ Train the Trainer Model" -- an educational opportunity provided through the CAEPV HopeLine® from Verizon Webinar Series.

An audio/video recording of this webinar is available here:  https://calcasa.ilinc.com/join/mtwkhtz

WHEN:   Thursday, December 15, 2011
2:00 PM- 3:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM- 2:00 PM CT / 11:00 AM- 12:00 PM PT

WHY:      A recent survey of CEOs found that most believe domestic violence to be a serious issue, yet 71% did not believe it is a problem in their company. The reality is that approximately 21% of full-time working adults report being a victim of domestic violence.

This webinar will highlight the successful “train the trainer” program used by Verizon Wireless to address domestic violence at the workplace, and will show how other employers can replicate this model in other workplace settings. 

HOST:    Elva Lima, Executive Director, Community Relations and Multicultural Communications,Verizon Wireless

PRESENTERS:

·         Jeremy Bruce, Manager, Employee Relations, Verizon Wireless 

·         Rob Peirce, Manager, Employee Relations, Verizon Wireless

INTERVIEWER:  Kim Wells, Executive Director, Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence

An audio/video recording of this webinar is available here: https://calcasa.ilinc.com/join/mtwkhtz
For additional event information, visit:  http://www.caepv.org/about/program_detail.php?refID=73  

The CAEPV HopeLine® from Verizon Webinar Series is made possible by a grant from HopeLine® from Verizon.

Telling Amy's Story - A Tool for Addressing Domestic Violence in the Workplace Webinar

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV) is pleased to present “Telling Amy’s Story – A Tool for Addressing Domestic Violence in the Workplace.” This webinar takes place Wednesday, October 26, 2011 from 2:00 - 3:30 PM ET.

Domestic violence does not stop at the door when employees go to work. The CAEPV HopeLine® from Verizon Webinar Series is designed to help increase employer awareness of domestic violence as a workplace issue and offer strategies for employers to recognize and respond to it.

The documentary Telling Amy's Story follows the timeline of a domestic violence homicide that occurred on November 8, 2001. The victim's parents and co-workers, law enforcement officers, and court personnel share their perspectives on what happened to Amy in the weeks, months, and years leading up to her death.

This webinar will highlight how Telling Amy's Story has been successfully used at workplaces as a tool to educate employees and managers regarding domestic violence and how this success can be replicated in other workplace settings.

HOSTS:

Mike Mason, Chief Security Officer, Verizon
Kim Wells, Executive Director, Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence

PRESENTERS:

• Angela Long, Director of Security, Verizon
• Jayne Mayer, Director, Employee Engagement, Verizon Foundation
• Yandira Melon, EAP Counselor, Verizon
• Alphonsus (Fons) Marcelis, Head, HRS Corporate Operations, The World Bank Group

Registration closed on Monday, October 24, 2011. To view webinar resources, to view the recording after the webinar, and for additional information, visit:  http://www.caepv.org/about/program_detail.php?refID=72

To view "Telling Amy's Story," visit http://youtu.be/TsFv4DiPKFg

10 Things You Can Do About Domestic Violence

As we begin October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, people have been asking me "What can I do about domestic violence? Is there something I can do to help?" Here is a short list of ideas. Certainly you can add your ideas or additions at the end:

1)  Join the Love Is Not Abuse Coalition and get involved in a growing, national grassroots movement of parents, teachers and ANYONE who cares about getting dating abuse education into every middle school and high school in the country.  Go to http://loveisnotabuse.com/web/guest/who-we-are  to learn more.

2) Find out more about domestic violence. Go to http://www.clicktoempower.org/ and see the stories of survivors and what made the difference for them.

3) Go to http://whatwedid4love.com and support the National Domestic Violence Hotline by purchasing these pieces by Sueanne Shirzay and other artists.

4) Learn about how domestic violence impacts your workplace by visiting http://www.caepv.org/.

5) Remember the National Domestic Violence Hotline Number: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or http://www.thehotline.org/. You can call to help others or yourself.

6) Donate your old cell phone, batteries, or chargers (any brand) at any Verizon Wireless store or use free mailing label http://aboutus.vzw.com/communityservice/Shipping.html.  Learn more about the HopeLine from Verizon program at http://aboutus.vzw.com/communityservice/hopeLine.html

7) Learn to talk to your kids about healthy relationships by downloading tip booklets from http://www.loveisnotabuse.com/.

8) Try to understand what happens in domestic violence and how it impacts people. Check out http://www.domesticviolenceworkplace.blogspot.com/. And comment!

9) Don't ask "Why would that victim go back?" ask "Why would a person hit or abuse someone they love?"

10) Be safe, healthy and happy in your own relationships. Because you matter. And you deserve it. And you are very, very precious.

Registration Now Open: Domestic Violence and the Workplace - Three Case Studies in Practice

EMPLOYERS - YOU ARE INVITED TO:

"Domestic Violence and the Workplace: Three Case Studies in Practice" -- an educational opportunity provided through the CAEPV HopeLine® from Verizon Webinar Series.

WHEN:

Friday, September 23, 2011
2:00 PM- 3:30 PM ET
1:00 PM- 2:30 PM CT
11:00 AM- 12:30 PM PT

WHY:

A recent survey of CEOs found that most believe domestic violence to be a serious issue, yet 71% did not believe it is a problem in their company. The reality is that approximately 21% of full-time working adults report being a victim of domestic violence.

This webinar will examine current practices of employers addressing domestic violence as a workplace issue from three unique perspectives.

HOSTS:

M. Alan Gardner, Vice President, Human Resources, Verizon Wireless
Kim Wells, Executive Director, Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence

PRESENTERS:

• Jane Randel, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications & Brand Services, Liz Claiborne Inc.
• Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, Vice President, Health and Wellness, Prudential
• Dr. Brigid McCaw, Medical Director, KP NCal Family Violence Prevention Program, Kaiser Permanente

RSVP:

Registration for this webinar closed on September 21, 2011.  A recording of the webinar will be available in the days following the event. 

To access the recorded webinar and webinar materials, visit http://www.caepv.org/about/program_detail.php?refID=71


The CAEPV HopeLine® from Verizon Webinar Series is made possible by a grant from HopeLine® from Verizon.

                                 

Verizon Wireless Supports Joplin, MO Through Mobile Giving

I know there are lots of ways to help in this time of tragedy in Joplin and elsewhere - here's one:

Verizon Wireless has quickly implemented a mobile giving program for customers looking for a simple way to contribute to relief and recovery efforts following the devastation in Joplin, Mo.  Customers can use their mobile phones to make $10 donations to a variety of non-profit organizations responding to the tornado and the needs of local citizens in the aftermath – including American Red Cross Relief and United Way - Heart of Missouri.

 
Customers can choose from five different nonprofit organizations and make $10 donations by sending a text message. Donating is easy – customers simply text the specific word to the organization's designated short code:
      

·         American Red Cross Relief: Text "REDCROSS" to 90999

·         Convoy of Hope: Text "CONVOY" to 50555

·         Salvation Army: Text "JOPLIN" to 80888

·         United Way - Heart of Missouri: Text "JOPLIN" to 864833

·         World Vision, Inc.: Text "TORNADO" to 20222

Verizon Wireless always waives text-messaging fees for disaster relief, so text messages are free when used to make donations to any of these organizations, and 100 percent of each $10 donation goes to the relief organization.

For Verizon Wireless customers who pay monthly bills, the $10 donations will appear on the next regular monthly bill. For customers using the company's prepaid services, the $10 donation will be taken from customers' prepaid balance.

 

CAEPV RECEIVES $30,000 DONATION FROM HOPELINE FROM VERIZON TO ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS WORKPLACE ISSUE

I usually share something cool that happens to another organization courtesy of the companies that we work with here at the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV).  Today I am writing about a wonderful contribution we received to further our work to make domestic violence "Everybody's Business."

On November 30, 2010, Verizon Wireless announced that the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV) is receiving a $30,000 donation from HopeLine® from Verizon, aiding CAEPV in its mission to help businesses address the impact of domestic violence in the workplace. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), intimate partner violence victims lose a total of nearly 8 million days of paid work a year, the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs, and the cost of domestic violence to the U.S. economy is more than $8.3 billion. A 2005 national telephone survey by CAEPV found that 21 percent of full-time employed adults were victims of domestic violence and 64 percent of them indicated their work performance was significantly impacted.

The HopeLine from Verizon donation will help CAEPV fund educational programs and webinars that help increase employer awareness of domestic violence as a workplace issue and offer strategies for how employers can recognize and respond to this issue.

"Domestic violence can affect people of all backgrounds in all aspects of their lives, including the workplace," said Elva Lima, executive director of community relations for Verizon Wireless. "We're honored to partner with organizations like CAEPV that are working to increase awareness of domestic violence outside the home and providing much needed tools and resources to help reduce partner violence."

The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the costs and consequences of partner violence at work – and eliminating it altogether. From policies and programs to legal issues and legislation, CAEPV is a credible source for information, materials and advice.

"We are very grateful to receive this donation from Verizon Wireless and for their ongoing dedication to preventing domestic violence both within the workplace and in communities," said Kim Wells, executive director of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence. "Domestic violence doesn't stop at the door when employees go to work, and the HopeLine donation allows us to further raise awareness and help workplaces manage this issue."

The long-running HopeLine program puts the nation's most reliable wireless network to work in the community by turning no-longer-used wireless phones into support for those affected by domestic violence. Proceeds from the HopeLine program are used to provide wireless phones and airtime to victims of domestic violence and cash grants to local shelters and nonprofit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention, awareness and advocacy. Learn more about HopeLine at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnkDUsmkQlk. 

For more information on HopeLine from Verizon, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline. To learn more about CAEPV, visit www.caepv.org. 

We are so excited to be able to invest these funds in changing the landscape of society by addressing domestic violence as a workplace issue.  More to come!

VERIZON LAUNCHES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM IN NEW YORK STATE

What a totally cool idea! I love this!

CAEPV Members Verizon Wireless and the Verizon Foundation, in conjunction with the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV), recently announced the launch of the Verizon Domestic Violence Entrepreneurship Grant Program, which will provide grants to domestic violence survivors to help them successfully develop small businesses.

Verizon Wireless and the Verizon Foundation are donating a total of $45,000 to fund the grant program. One-time grants will range from $500 to $2,500 per applicant and can be used to make a down payment on a work space, purchase a computer or other office equipment, purchase initial product inventory, as collateral to support the receipt of a small business loan, pay for child care or transportation necessary to complete entrepreneurship classes, or other start-up costs.

Knowing of Verizon's strong support of domestic violence survivors through its HopeLine initiative and other grant-making activities, OPDV Executive Director Amy Barasch approached the company with the idea for the scholarships, and Verizon put the idea into action. The grant program is based on the premise that domestic violence survivors, through their past experience and the coping and problem-solving skills they developed to escape the cycle of violence, are uniquely prepared to step into an entrepreneurial role.

Applicants will be required to submit a business plan, and be enrolled in, or have completed an entrepreneurship assistance program, many of which are offered across the state through local chambers of commerce or schools and universities. New York State's Empire State Development funds a network of entrepreneurship assistance programs across New York.

The partnership between entrepreneurship programs and domestic violence programs makes a great deal of sense: in 2007-08, 60 percent of the state-supported entrepreneurship program graduates were female, and the programs overall resulted in significant increased sales, employee retention, and new jobs. In addition, many existing entrepreneurship programs have graduated domestic violence survivors, even though the programs may not know that fact.

In New York State, 87 percent of all business enterprises have four employees or less, illustrating that entrepreneurs and small business owners play a significant role in the state's economy and will be a key force in the state's economic recovery. In addition, the successful development of a small business can bring survivors increased control over their working lives, create important financial and social opportunities for them, and help ensure their long-term safety and stability, according to Barasch.

Interested individuals can obtain a grant application through their local domestic violence organization – visit http://nyscadv.org/directory.htm for a complete list of programs in New York State – or by sending an e-mail to hopelinesmallbiz@verizonwireless.com . 

Telling Amy's Story - Raising Awareness of Domestic Violence

Telling Amy's Story follows the timeline of a domestic violence homicide that occurred in central Pennsylvania on November 8, 2001.  Amy's parents, co-workers, law enforcement officers, and court personnel share their perspectives on what happened to Amy in the weeks, months, and years leading up to her death.

Amy was a Verizon Wireless employee, and the Verizon Foundation is a sponsor of this documentary. I think it is a wonderful tribute to her that they are honoring her memory in this way, and finding a way to reach others to share that domestic violence is, indeed "Everybody's Business."

And while the documentary cannot change the ending to Amy's story, it is the hope of those involved in making the documentary and the accompanying toolkit that telling her story can change the outcomes for the millions of victims, survivors, and loved ones affected by domestic violence everyday.

You can help in the fight to end domestic violence. SHARE this film, DISCUSS it with others, and REFER those in need to the film’s companion online toolkit at http://telling.psu.edu.  If you need to know how to create a program to help create a safer workplace for employees like Amy, visit our website at http://www.caepv.org.

To find out more about Telling Amy's Story, visit http://www.facebook.com/tellingamysstory.  You can view the trailer at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pt0qoqFV6g. The documentary will be available on Public Broadcasting Stations beginning June 1, 2010.

I hope you will share and learn.  And I hope you will also tell Amy's story.

IT’S NATIONAL CELL PHONE RECYCLING WEEK; DONATE TO HOPELINE AND HELP VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Here's a really easy way to help the environment...and victims of domestic violence.

CAEPV Member Verizon Wireless joins the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cell phone manufacturers and other retailers in the second annual Plug-In To eCycling National Cell Phone Recycling Week. This year's activities take place from April 5-11, and Verizon Wireless encourages consumers to visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store or to use a free mailing label available at http://aboutus.vzw.com/communityservice/HopeLineLabel.pdf  to recycle their old wireless phones, batteries and accessories throughout the week.

All phone donations to Verizon Wireless support HopeLine®, the company's long-running phone recycling and reuse program that benefits victims of domestic violence and supports prevention and awareness efforts. Last April, consumers donated more than 90,000 wireless phones to HopeLine, becoming an important part of Verizon Wireless' ability to recycle more than 1 million phones through this program for the third consecutive year.

Phones given to HopeLine will be refurbished for reuse or will be disposed of in an environmentally sound way under a zero landfill policy. Thousands of the refurbished phones are distributed to domestic violence shelters to be used by victims and survivors as they create safety plans and rebuild their lives.

Since 2001, through HopeLine's efforts, more than 7 million phones have been collected and kept out of landfills, and more than 1.6 million no-longer-used wireless phones have been disposed of in an environmentally sound way. Additional proceeds from HopeLine provide financial support to non-profit domestic violence advocacy agencies across the country. To learn more about Hopeline, visit http://aboutus.vzw.com/communityservice/hopeLine.html.  

Plug-In To eCycling's National Cell Phone Recycling Week 2010 is a joint effort with leading cell phone manufacturers, service providers and retailers to increase the awareness and recycling rates for cell phones. Plug-In To eCycling encourages Americans nationwide to donate or recycle their unwanted cell phones during the week of April 5-11, 2010. For additional information and to find cell phone recycling locations near you, please visit: www.epa.gov/cellphones.

Leading Corporations Develop National Plan to Engage Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to Address Domestic Violence in the Workplace

This unprecedented initiative focuses on leveraging resources of EAPs to help employers better assist domestic violence victims at work.

Today, major employers such as Gap Inc., Kaiser Permanente, Liz Claiborne Inc., Macy’s and Verizon Wireless, along with leading EAP providers including Ceridian, CIGNA, Magellan Health Services, OptumHealth, ValueOptions and others, announced a new national plan to help employers make better use of EAPs to better assist employees who are victims of domestic violence. The plan, called the S2 Blueprint for Action, outlines the significant advancements that employers and EAPs can implement to increase the level of support and assistance to victims, including:

- Making the business case to CEOs, including the cost to business, liability issues, legal mandates, employee engagement and corporate social responsibility
- Managing the workplace environment, including developing and implementing a comprehensive domestic violence policy, positioning the EAP as a valued and effective resource, and changing communications to include domestic violence prevention in the promotion of health and well-being of employees
- Encouraging employers and brokers to ask about an EAP’s capabilities for identifying and addressing domestic violence issues for the workforce when soliciting proposals, and encouraging EAPs to proactively share their domestic violence programs as value-added strategies for employers when bidding for their business.
- Integrating the expertise of the domestic violence service providers into the referral network offered by the EAP to the employer and providing those resources on brochures, posters, etc., in addition to the EAP.

The plan, developed at a major conference in San Francisco, is the first effort designed to leverage the work of EAPs to address domestic violence as a workplace issue. The S2 Blueprint for Action is available at http://www.caepv.org/about/program_detail.php?refID=35. The conference was organized by the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV).

“We have engaged a powerful national collaboration through the S2 Blueprint,” said Kim Wells, executive director for the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence. “This is the first time employers and EAPs have come together to address domestic violence as an issue that affects productivity, absenteeism, presenteeism, turnover, healthcare costs and workplace safety. If employers and EAPs can address these issues, they will provide a true ‘value-added’ service in this difficult economy. ”

Research conducted by the CAEPV indicates that 21 percent of full-time employees are victims of domestic violence. Sixty-four (64) percent of these employees indicated their ability to work was impacted by the abuse going on at home. Among key causes for their decline in productivity, victims noted "distraction" (57%); "fear of discovery" (45%); "harassment by intimate partner at work (either by phone or in person)" (40%); fear of intimate partner's unexpected visits" (34%); "inability to complete assignments on time" (24%); and "job loss" (21%).

CAEPV is promoting the S2 Blueprint for Action, and attendees will participate in a webinar in February 2009, to evaluate their progress and determine next steps. The conference highlighted various ways that well-equipped EAPs can be used to assist domestic victims effectively and economically including:

- Presenting workplace education programs on issues such as recognizing healthy and unhealthy relationships.
- Providing resources including referrals to services such as counseling or legal assistance that can help a victim maintain stability while working.
- Guiding managers in how to best assist employees who they think may be victims of domestic violence.
- Being a valuable part of the “domestic violence response team” that includes management, human resources, security and the EAP to proactively address domestic violence cases impacting the workplace.

The S2 – Smarter, Safer Workplace Conference took place on Friday, November 7 at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.caepv.org/about/program_detail.php?refID=35.

About the S2 – Safer, Smarter Workplace Conference
The S2 – Safer, Smarter Workplace conference was presented by the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence. This conference was made possible by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, with additional support provided by The Allstate Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation, CALCASA, Health Care Service Corporation and Texas Health Resources. The Technology Sponsor for the conference was the Verizon Foundation.

The conference planning workgroup includes representatives from the following organizations: Chestnut Global Partners; CIGNA; Gap Inc.; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Macy’s West; Magellan Health Services; OptumHealth.

Ok -- the Blueprint is started, the employers and EAPs worked together with incredible energy and enthusiasm along with researchers, those from the domestic violence field, foundations, and many others. We will see what comes next! If you want to check out the "S2 Blueprint" or any of the presentations from the conference, they are all on our website at the link above.

Fortune Magazine November 24, 2008 Issue Addresses Domestic Violence

The November 24, 2008, issue of Fortune magazine contains an article titled "Domestic Violence: Corporate America’s struggle to confront the issue." Fortune is the first such business magazine to cover the issue in this way, and they are to be congratulated for the time and effort taken to put a human face on this business issue.

Great thanks to the writer, Betsy Morris, for her tireless efforts. Coverage includes CAEPV members Allstate, Liz Claiborne, Safe Horizon, Verizon Wireless, and the Sam Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas.

Above all, the stories of those who have survived (and not survived) domestic violence are told. The online version of the article will be available the week of November 17.

Pick it up, or read it online, and let me know what you think!

Leading Corporations Engage Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to Combat Domestic Violence in the Workplace

This unprecedented initiative focuses on leveraging resources of EAPs and employers to better assist employees affected by domestic violence.

On November 6 and 7, major employers such as Verizon Wireless, Liz Claiborne Inc., Macy’s, and Gap Inc., along with leading EAP providers including CIGNA, OptumBehavioral Health, ValueOptions and others will work together to create a new national plan to help employers make better use of EAPs to help employees who are victims of domestic violence. The plan, called the S2 Blueprint for Action, will outline the significant advancements that employers and EAPs can move forward during the next one to three years to increase the level of support and assistance to employees involved in domestic violence.

The plan is the first such effort designed to leverage the work of EAPs and employers in responding to domestic violence in the workplace. During this fragile economic time, tapping existing resources to assist employees who are victims of domestic violence is critically important. The conference was organized by the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV).

Research conducted by the CAEPV indicates that 21 percent of full-time employees are victims of domestic violence. Sixty-four (64) percent of these employees indicated their ability to work was impacted by the abuse going on at home. Among key causes for their decline in productivity, victims noted "distraction" (57%); "fear of discovery" (45%); "harassment by intimate partner at work (either by phone or in person)" (40%); fear of intimate partner's unexpected visits" (34%); "inability to complete assignments on time" (24%); and "job loss" (21%).

CAEPV is promoting the S2 Blueprint for Action, and attendees will participate in a webinar in February 2009, to evaluate their progress and determine next steps. The conference highlighted various ways that well-equipped EAPs can be used to assist domestic victims effectively and economically including:

- EAPs can present workplace education programs on issues such as recognizing healthy and unhealthy relationships.
- EAPs can provide resources including referrals to services such as counseling or legal assistance that can help a victim maintain stability while working.
- EAPs can guide managers in how to best assist employees who they think may be victims of domestic violence.
- EAPs can be a valuable part of the “domestic violence response team” that includes management, human resources, security and the EAP to proactively address domestic violence cases impacting the workplace.

A powerful national collaboration will be engaged through the S2 - Safer, Smarter Workplace Conference. This is the first time employers and EAPs will come together to address domestic violence as an issue that affects productivity, absenteeism, presenteeism, turnover, healthcare costs and workplace safety. If employers and EAPs can strategically address these issues, they will provide a true "value-added" service in this difficult economy.

The S2 – Smarter, Safer Workplace Conference takes place November 6 and 7 at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.caepv.org/about/program_detail.php?refID=35.

About the S2 – Safer, Smarter Workplace Conference
The S2 – Safer, Smarter Workplace conference is presented by the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence. This conference was made possible by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, with additional support provided by The Allstate Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation, CALCASA, Health Care Service Corporation and Texas Health Resources.

The Technology Sponsor for the conference is the Verizon Foundation.

The conference planning workgroup includes representatives from the following organizations: Chestnut Global Partners; CIGNA; Gap Inc.; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Macy’s West; Magellan Health Services; OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions.

Violently Ill - HR Executive Online Features Domestic Violence As A Workplace Issue

HR Executive Online has done a great article with accompanying information and resources on the impact of domestic violence on the workplace. I spent a lot of time talking with Jared Shelly, the journalist who wrote the piece and coordinated the “extras” and he worked very hard to make sure he had something that would really help their readers understand how domestic violence impacts the workplace, what companies are currently doing about it, and what interest HR Executives can do about it.

He chose an interesting title for his piece, “Violently Ill.” At first I was taken aback by the title. But as I thought about it, it made sense. Jared wanted his readers to understand that for victims of domestic violence, their work absences due to domestic violence can be because of the violent nature of the situation they are in at home.

Featured in the article are CAEPV Members State Farm Insurance Companies, Verizon Wireless, Blue Shield of California Foundation, and CIGNA (which not only provides EAP services for Verizon Wireless, but also has its own program).

While Macy’s is not a Corporate Alliance member, we are very happy to have member of Macy’s Employee Relations area on our board of directors.

Finally, I honor the State Farm employee who chose to share her story with Jared. She is amazing – and as she shares, she helps more employers and employees know that they are not alone and that this issue is “Everybody’s Business.”

Thanks to HR Exec Online for highlighting domestic violence as a workplace issue, thanks to Jared Shelly for working so hard to make sure he got the story and the resources out there, and thanks to the employers who are willing to do something about this and share their experiences with others!

Rutgers University Awards First Verizon Wireless Hopeline Scholarships to Graduate Students Assisting Victims of Domestic Violence

I know it seems like I am writing a lot lately about Verizon Wireless, but it is just because they do a lot of cool things!

Rupa Khetarpal and Amanda Mathisen recently completed studies at Rutgers University School of Social Work where they were named 2008 VerizonWireless HopeLine(R) Scholars. Funded by a $100,000 Verizon Wireless grant, the Verizon Wireless HopeLine Scholarship Fund was created in conjunction with the Center on Violence Against Women & Children to recognize outstanding Rutgers University graduate students enrolled in the Master of Social Work (MSW)specialization on violence against women and children, the first such program in the country.

The Verizon Wireless donation was made possible through the company's HopeLine phone recycling program, which collects no-longer-used wirelessphones at its Communications Stores throughout New Jersey and nationwide.The phones are refurbished, recycled or sold and the proceeds are used toprovide wireless phones and cash grants to local shelters and non-profit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention and awareness. Phones that cannot be refurbished are disposed of in an environmentallysound manner. Verizon Wireless was the first wireless carrier in the nation to collect and recycle old cell phones and has done so since January 1999, first in New Jersey and then across the U.S.

Nationally, the HopeLine program has collected more than 4.5 million wireless phones and givennearly $5 million in cash grants to domestic violence preventionorganizations. In addition to a successful phone recycling program and funding fornon-profit domestic violence prevention organizations, HopeLine includes free wireless service and voice mailboxes for survivors, community and corporate awareness initiatives, and a bilingual "Invest in Yourself"program designed to help survivors re-enter the workforce.

HopeLine phone donations also are accepted at all Verizon Wireless Communications Stores For store locations and additional information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

We are really so proud to have both Rutgers University School of Social Work and Verizon Wireless as CAEPV members!

Verizon Wireless Trains Almost 3,000 Managers Using SafeWork Certified Training Model

This is really cool! Since CAEPV Member Verizon Wireless implemented the SafeWork Certified Trainer model, 2,927 managers throughout the country have been trained at 181 trainings! Trainings were completed by the end of April for managers at Verizon Wireless’ 26 call centers across the country. Now Verizon Wireless will roll out the trainings to retail managers in 19 regions beginning at a conference this July.

Our partner Safe Horizon and CAEPV premiered this SafeWork training program during It’s Time to Talk Day in 2007. This “train the trainer” model is designed to create SafeWork Certified Trainers in partnering companies, including executives and senior HR staff who have completed a comprehensive curriculum customized to their company’s policies and procedures.

Just imagine the difference it can make for employees when a manager is trained to really recognize what is going on in the workplace and how to help in a compassionate, caring and professional way without compromising a person's privacy. And imagine getting that person to the resources needed quickly and efficiently. That is always important -- but vitally so in cases of domestic violence.

Note: Verizon Wireless is the first company to implement the SafeWork Certified Trainer program created by CAEPV Member Safe Horizon in partnership with the Corporate Alliance. If you are interested in learning more about this training, contact Melissa Madzel at mmadzel@safehorizon.org.

Verizon and the Family Justice Center Institute - Everyone Wins!

Right now I am in San Diego at the International Family Justice Center Conference. And what, you may wonder, is a Family Justice Center? And why would a big company like Verizon care about one?

How many places do you suppose a person who is a victim of domestic violence has to go to get help for themselves? For their children? Well, in San Diego they asked and found out 32 -- 32 places! That is too many places -- especially for a person who is not safe.

And so they created a Family Justice Center -- one place where a person could go and get the services needed -- medical, advocacy, food, clothing, job training, legal, etc -- all in one place. What an idea!

I have been privileged to serve on the President's Family Justice Center Initiative as 15 model Family Justice Centers were formed across the US through grants from the Office on Violence Against Women. And now there are Family Justice Centers across the US -- and around the world. And now I am privileged to serve on the National Advisory Board for the National Family Justice Center Alliance.

And now, throughout the U.S., survivors of domestic violence and their children will receive new and more effective services -- thanks to a $1 million grant from the Verizon Foundation to the National Family Justice Center Alliance. The grant, announced on April 4, establishes the Family Justice Center Institute, a technology and training arm within the National Family Justice Center Alliance. The center will use technology and best practices to streamline service and provide training for employees and volunteers.

The grant will be used to develop systems that:
1) Allow multiple agencies within a Family Justice Center to quickly and securely share information - so that victims will have to tell their story only once, rather than repeatedly conveying their traumatic experiences to various social, medical, legal and public safety professionals.
2) Create protocols for the development of electronic "safety deposit boxes" - helping domestic violence survivors to keep important documents secure.
3) Develop online training for Family Justice Center employees and volunteers nationwide - enabling them to share information, attend online courses and learn best practices.
4) Link the management systems of five pilot Family Justice Centers - creating consistency and information-sharing models among these centers, which will be selected during the grant period.
5) Assess technology needs - to evaluate practical uses of online client resources, text messaging and video messaging to support Family Justice Center employees and clients.

Verizon has been a longtime supporter of Family Justice Centers across the country, beginning with a Verizon Wireless HopeLine grant to the San Diego Family Justice Center in 2002. Raising awareness of domestic violence and aiding in its prevention is a key focus of the Verizon Foundation. In 2007, the foundation awarded more than $5.5 million in grants to aid in domestic violence prevention.

Isn't that perfect? A company using what it does best -- technology -- to help keep families safe and to help make communities better!

And think of this -- Verizon Communications and Verizon Wireless employ a combined approximate 250,000 people across the US. Now -- if 21% of those are victims of domestic violence (as full-time employed adults, using the results of the national survey that the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence did in 2005) -- where are those people going to go if they need help? To services in 32 places? Wouldn't it make much more sense for those employees and their families to go to Family Justice Centers where they are safe and get access to services in one location? That is a great investment of resources -- not only for Verizon employees, but for everyone in a community.

For more information about the Family Justice Center model and the National Family Justice Center Alliance, visit http://www.familyjusticecenter.org/.

Verizon Wireless Funds $100,000 HopeLine Scholarship at Rutgers University School of Social Work

OK -- here is a company looking around and seeing the importance of addressing domestic violence not only within its own workplace, but also looking at prevention and the idea of helping fund educators and professionals who can make a difference.

Continuing its commitment to domestic violence prevention and awareness, CAEPV Member Verizon Wireless joined with CAEPV Member Rutgers University on February 19 to announce the creation of a new $100,000 scholarship fund at the Rutgers University School of Social Work and its Center on Violence Against Women and Children.

Named the Verizon Wireless HopeLine(R) Scholarship, income generated by the endowment will be used to award scholarships, annually, to at least three Rutgers graduate social work students enrolled in the School of Social Work's Master of Social Work (MSW) specialization on violence against women and children, the first such program in the country. The Rutgers University School of Social Work is one of the largest social work programs in the country. This groundbreaking scholarship on violence against women and children will prepare future social work professionals to work as executives or advocates in domestic violence and sexual assault organizations nationwide.

How did this get funded? By recycled cell phones donated throughout New Jersey! 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 Communications 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 sound manner.

Verizon Wireless was the first wireless carrier in the nation to collect and recycle old cell phones and has done so since January 1999, first in New Jersey and then across the U.S. Nationally, the HopeLine program has collected nearly 4.2 million wireless phones, and given more than $4 million in cash grants and nearly 40,000 phones with airtime to domestic violence prevention organizations.

In addition to a successful phone recycling program and funding for non-profit domestic violence prevention organizations, HopeLine includes free wireless service and voice mailboxes for survivors, community and corporate awareness initiatives, and a bilingual "Invest in Yourself" program designed to help survivors re-enter the workforce. HopeLine phone donations also are accepted at all Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the nation. For store locations and additional information, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

For more information about the Center on Violence Against Women & Children at Rutgers University, visit http://socialwork.rutgers.edu/iff/

It will be interesting to see what comes of this new scholarships program. And imagine if MBA programs started training HR professionals about domestic violence as a workplace issue before professionals entered the workplace. . . wow, what an impact that would make!

If you are interested in what you can do in your workplace today, as always, you are welcome to visit our website at http://www.caepv.org/.

Verizon Wireless Collected More Than One Million Old Phones in 2007 - And Domestic Violence Victims Benefit

CAEPV Member Verizon Wireless recently announced that consumers and businesses across the country gave 1,068,000 old and no-longer-used wireless phones in 2007 to the company's long-running HopeLine(R) phone recycling and reuse program. The record number represents the most phones collected in one year by HopeLine, and is an increase of more than 15 percent from last year's total of 910,000 phones. That is a LOT of phones, folks!!

The record collection enabled the HopeLine program, which benefits domestic violence prevention and awareness programs, to award more than $1.7 million in cash grants, generated by the sale of refurbished phones, to more than 330 domestic violence agencies and organizations nationwide.

In 2007, Verizon Wireless also provided nearly 20,000 wireless phones to domestic violence agencies around the country for use by their clients. These HopeLine phones, with 60 million minutes of service in total, or the equivalent of 117 years of nonstop minutes, are valued at $6 million, and are used by victims and survivors of domestic violence to rebuild their lives. Since the October 2001 launch of Verizon Wireless' national recycling program, the company has collected more than 4.5 million phones and awarded nearly $5 million in cash grants to organizations working to prevent and end domestic violence. HopeLine has also distributed more than 60,000 phones with more than 160 million minutes of free wireless service to be used by victims of domestic violence.

The HopeLine program also includes #HOPE, which can be dialed from any Verizon Wireless handset to immediately connect to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The Hotline provides professional support and referrals to people involved in domestic violence, as well as those who want to help friends and family. The call to #HOPE is toll- and airtime-free.

Keep in mind that no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from ANY wireless service provider are collected in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide. For more information on Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program and to learn how to donate a wireless phone, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

It is such a simple idea and it makes a huge difference -- just drop your old wireless phone off at any Verizon Wireless store and know that domestic violence victims in your area will be helped. That is the other cool thing -- the funds collected in a particular area stay in that area.

It reminds me -- I have a phone I need to drop off at the local Verizon Wireless store. How about you?