Verizon’s ’Canvas of Support’ Will Tour Domestic Shelters Across the Country to Help Comfort Survivors of Domestic Violence

Latino celebrities at this year’s National Council of La Raza Alma Awards have pledged their support to eradicate domestic violence by signing Verizon’s “Canvas of Support,” a painting by noted artist Margaret Garcia featuring a mother and child in a peaceful embrace.

Verizon has donated “Canvas of Support” to A Window Between Worlds, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to using art to heal survivors of domestic violence. The painting will tour domestic shelters and transitional homes across the country.

“Canvas of Support,” which was commissioned by Verizon, was part of an art exhibit backstage at the Alma Awards that featured artwork by battered women and children survivors who have participated in A Window Between Worlds programs across the country. The Alma Awards, presented Tuesday (June 5), celebrate artistic excellence through the outstanding achievements of Latinos in motion pictures, television and music.

[Click here for downloadable photo of “Canvas of Support”]:
http://newsfeed.verizon.com/detail?source=&mid=VER2007060639650&mime=JPG

“We thank Verizon for helping us empower survivors to transform how they view themselves through art, allowing them to see past the abusive messages they learned from their batterers and rebuild their self-confidence,” said Olivia Piacenza, program director for A Window Between Worlds. “Through creative expression, battered women and children gain a sense of renewal and power.”

Jeff McFarland, director of multicultural marketing for Verizon, said, “With ’Canvas of Support’ we’re using the Alma Awards as the platform to raise awareness about an important issue facing the Latino community, which is also in line with the work done by the National Council of La Raza.”

Studies show that domestic violence is the single greatest cause of injury to women aged 15 to 44 in the United States - more than muggings, car accidents and rape incidents combined.

A Window Between Worlds has provided creative expression as a healing tool to more than 31,500 women and children in the United States. Domestic violence, the silent epidemic, victimizes almost 4 million women each year.

Verizon has been a longtime supporter of the Hispanic community and is raising domestic violence awareness on the national stage so that communities can champion this issue to help shape a stronger, more empowered Hispanic community. Last year, Verizon joined the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, the Family Violence Prevention Fund and the National Domestic Violence Hotline to launch the first national summit focused on domestic violence awareness and prevention.

To learn more about programs that assist domestic violence victims, please visit A Window Between Worlds at www.awbw.org or the Verizon Foundation at www.verizon.com/foundation.

About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, serving 60.7 million customers nationwide. Verizon’s Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation’s most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon has a diverse workforce of more than 238,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.