SUN PRAIRIE, Wis., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonprofit groups in Wisconsin received more than $172,000 from the Verizon Foundation in 2009, enabling 174 recipient organizations to improve literacy skills, enhance educational opportunities for children, and help domestic violence survivors rebuild their lives.

In addition, Verizon employees volunteered more than 2,900 hours to nonprofit groups throughout the state in 2009.

"Verizon has a long-standing tradition of working to improve the communities where we operate by supporting organizations that strive to make a difference in the lives of individuals," said Carl Erhart, president of Verizon's Central region. "Through grants and the generous contributions of time and talent from our employees, we are having a positive impact on our communities."

Among the grants awarded by Verizon in 2009 are:


    --  Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction - $50,000 to raise awareness and
        train teachers throughout the state on the use of Verizon Thinkfinity
        (www.thinkfinity.org), Verizon's free educational Web site that includes
        tens of thousands of educational resources and K-12 lesson plans.
    --  Wisconsin Literacy Inc. - $13,950 to recruit and train new tutors.
    --  Friends of the Cambridge Community Library Inc. - $10,000 to sponsor
        computer literacy workshops.
    --  Marshfield Clinic - $9,000 to develop health literacy training programs
        in northwestern Wisconsin.
    --  Winnebago County Literacy Council - $7,500 to incorporate Verizon
        Thinkfinity resources in a tutor curriculum.
    --  Friends of Abused Families Inc. - $5,000 to provide support to domestic
        violence victims and their families.

In 2009, the Verizon Foundation awarded more than $67.5 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in an additional $24.4 million in combined contributions to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 5 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 89 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 230,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $97 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon