First Lady Karen Pence Announces Successful Phone Drive

First Lady Karen Pence today announced the collection of 1,367 phones for the HopeLine from Verizon initiative that serves survivors of domestic violence. This second annual phone drive, which the First Lady sponsored throughout the month of October, collects no-longer-used cell phones and accessories to refurbish and sell to raise funds for survivors of domestic violence. Donations this year surpassed that of 2014’s drive, in which 1,200 phones were donated.

“I’m so thankful for the generosity of state employees as they dropped off phones in HopeLine boxes around the government center campus,” said First Lady Karen Pence. “HopeLine from Verizon is an incredible program, and I hope that our efforts over the past month make a noticeable difference for survivors of domestic violence across the state.”

HopeLine provides new phones equipped with 3,000 anytime minutes to those in need through participating domestic violence agencies, and give grants to agencies that assist survivors of domestic violence. The donated phones are refurbished and recycled in an environmentally safe way with proceeds going towards the financial support of domestic violence awareness and prevention initiatives.

Since 2001, HopeLine from Verizon has collected more than 11.4 million phones nationwide and has donated more than $29 million in cash grants to domestic violence organizations nationwide.

A photo of the First Lady organizing donated cell phones can be found attached to this release.