| Hershey High School student Sonia Kothari, 15, was recognized on Thursday, February 14, by Verizon Wireless, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence and State Senator Jeffrey E. Piccola for her outstanding volunteer efforts over the past four years on behalf of the Verizon Wireless HopeLine program, which supports victims of domestic violence across Pennsylvania and nationwide.
Since Sonia began volunteering in 2001, she has collected about 1,250 no-longer-used wireless phones and donated them to Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine program, which puts those phones to work to assist victims of domestic violence.
HopeLine collects wireless phones and accessories from any wireless service provider, and then refurbishes the phones or recycles them in an environmentally-friendly way. Proceeds from the HopeLine program benefit victims of domestic violence and non-profit advocacy agencies, providing essential communication tools of wireless phones and wireless services and financial grants.
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“Domestic violence awareness and prevention is Verizon Wireless’ primary community focus, and we encourage others to follow the exceptional example that Sonia Kothari has set in supporting our HopeLine program and providing much-needed assistance to survivors of domestic abuse in Dauphin County,” said Christine Baron, Regional President for Verizon Wireless.
Verizon Wireless Retail District Manager Lee Meyer presented a donation of $2,500 to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which was equivalent to $2 for every wireless phone Sonia has collected since she began her work with HopeLine. Meyer said the donation was made on behalf of Sonia and in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the HopeLine program.
Verizon Wireless is a recognized corporate leader for its longstanding commitment to put the nation's most reliable wireless network to work for survivors of domestic violence through its HopeLine program.
Since 2001, consumers have donated more than 4.5 million phones to HopeLine and properly disposed of more than 1 million no-longer-used wireless phones in an environmentally sound way. This has kept more than 200 tons of electronic waste and batteries out of landfills. Verizon Wireless has distributed nearly $5 million in cash grants and in-kind services to domestic violence prevention and awareness programs across the country. For more information on Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program or for instructions on donating a wireless phone, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.
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Sonia Kothari, pictured above, holds some of the phones she collected on behalf of domestic violence victims in PA. |
