Laura’s House “Lunch & Learn” Series Educates Verizon Wireless Employees about Domestic Violence
Posted on December 8, 2011
As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Laura’s House joined forces with Verizon Wireless to prepare employees on how to help when they suspect a co-worker, friend or family member is experiencing an abusive situation
LADERA RANCH, Calif, Dec. 7, 2011 – Domestic violence is gradually evolving from a home-related incident to one that spills over into the workplace. To help build greater awareness of the issues surrounding domestic violence among its employees, Verizon Wireless partnered with Laura’s House, a nonprofit organization that serves families impacted by domestic violence, to bring “Lunch & Learn” sessions to its Irvine, Calif. headquarters, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2011.
“According to the American Institute of Domestic Violence, nearly 8 million days of paid work are lost each year due to women being abused at home,” said Margaret Bayston, Executive Director and CEO, Laura’s House. “We are pleased to partner with Verizon Wireless in providing the informative ‘Lunch & Learn’ sessions to help educate their employees on how to detect and intervene in situations where domestic violence is a factor. By offering these sessions to their employees, Verizon continues to demonstrate their commitment and passion for education, training and advocacy.”
The “Lunch & Learn” series took place at Verizon Headquarters in Irvine during October. The program was developed by Laura’s House, and tailored to address specific topics related to domestic violence that were requested by Verizon Wireless.
Marissa Presley, prevention education specialist for Laura’s House, presented several topics during the various “Lunch & Learn” sessions including the History of Domestic Violence; Teen Dating Violence, which included two survivors as guest speakers; and the Effects of Domestic Violence on Children.
“Our goal in partnering with Laura’s House to provide these ‘Lunch & Learn’ sessions is to help our employees feel more comfortable and knowledgeable about dealing with situations that arise in the workplace as a result of domestic violence,” said Margi Simoni-Leibovitch, associate director, West Area Sales Training for Verizon Wireless. “By working together with nonprofit organizations like Laura’s House, we can help to ‘end the silence’ of domestic violence’ by arming our employees with the tools and knowledge they need to educate and prevent violence from occurring within their communities.”
The “Lunch & Learn” sessions are part of an ongoing partnership between Laura’s House and Verizon Wireless. Earlier this year, Laura’s House received a $50,000 Verizon Wireless HopeLine technology grant, which was used to purchase technology upgrades that enable survivors of domestic violence to search for jobs, find apartments, or locate schools for their children through new online tools and resources. The grant also modernized the agency’s computerized case management system to help ensure the best possible outcomes for clients.
Laura’s House plans to rollout its “Lunch & Learn” program to more local businesses and corporations during 2012. Businesses that are interested in learning more about these educational sessions can call Laura’s House at (949) 361-3775 for more information, or visit the Laura’s House Website at www.laurashouse.org.
The Verizon Wireless HopeLine program collects no-longer-used cell phones and accessories at the company’s Communications Stores. The company recycles, refurbishes and resells the equipments, using the proceeds to awards grants of cash, phones and free airtime to domestic violence prevention agencies. To learn how to donate to HopeLine, please visit: http://bit.ly/pgN2gV.
About Laura’s House Annually, Laura’s House provides residential shelter services to more than 200 women and children, counseling to more than 300 clients, legal services to more than 300 clients and assists with more than 1,700 crisis hot-line calls. The mission of Laura’s House is changing social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.
About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 106.3 million total wireless connections, including 89.7 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
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