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Verizon gives $250,000 to WINGS women's shelter

In the two weeks since the Ray Rice video broke onto the consciousness of NFL fans everywhere, calls to the state domestic abuse hotline have doubled, and the WINGS Safe House in Rolling Meadows has turned away 80 women and children, says Rebecca Darr, WINGS CEO.

"That's more than we normally do in a two-month period," Darr said Tuesday. "That's why adding another shelter is so important."

Last November, WINGS officials entered into a partnership with the city of Chicago and broke ground for a second shelter - its first in 10 years since the Rolling Meadows facility opened - near Midway Airport on Chicago's Southwest side.

Since then, corporate support has been building. Last week, WINGS officials announced its largest corporate gift toward the facility, a $250,000 donation from Verizon Wireless Midwest, based in Schaumburg.

Christine Baron, president of the Midwest Area of Verizon Wireless attended a reception last week when WINGS officials made the announcement, and drew the support of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

"This is Verizon's largest pledge to date to a nonprofit in Illinois," Baron said. "We are proud to be able to provide this financial support and look forward to having other businesses in Chicago's corporate community join us in this worthy cause.

"Domestic violence knows no boundaries," Baron added, "and preys on both the communities where we all do business and on our workforces."

The grant came from Verizon's HopeLine initiative, which provides ongoing support to women and families, specifically in the areas of education and career support as a way for survivors to get re-established.

Its HopeLine program collects used wireless phones, batteries and accessories - in any condition, from any carrier - in its stores nationwide, as well as at special collection events throughout the year.

The phones are refurbished or recycled and then sold. The money helps HopeLine donate wireless phones and airtime to victims of domestic violence, and provides funding to nonprofit domestic violence shelters and prevention programs across the country.

Verizon's support of WINGS dates back to the development of the Rolling Meadows SAFE House, when Verizon donated $30,000 toward a computer facility at the shelter.

Since then, the Verizon Career Center has helped women prepare their resumes and complete job searches at the facility, differentiating it from other shelters, Darr said.

At the new shelter, its donation will establish the Verizon Café and Career Center, which incorporates a state of the art kitchen, dining room and indoor play center for children, as well as the career center stocked with computer technology.

"At Verizon Wireless, we believe it's our responsibility to contribute to the strength of the communities where we live and work," Baron added. "We want to help address issues where we can, in a way that will make a difference."

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