Actress and Advocate Mariska Hargitay and ’Today’ Show Co-Host Meredith Vieira Help Kick Off ’It’s Time To Talk Day’ by Participating in Screening of Powerful Domestic Violence Documentary

NEW YORK - It’s Time to Talk Day, a national day of awareness and discussion about domestic violence and teen-dating abuse, gets a head start on Tuesday evening (Dec. 7) with a screening of a powerful documentary on domestic violence.

“Telling Amy’s Story” chronicles the time leading up to the death of Amy Homan McGee, a mother of two who was shot and killed by her husband. The documentary, funded by the Verizon Foundation, was created by Penn State Public Broadcasting and has aired on nearly 300 local public television stations. It has also been used as an educational tool by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice.

A complete listing of future airings is available at http://telling.psu.edu. The documentary will also be available with Spanish-language subtitles and captioning for the hearing impaired.

The screening, at the AXA Equitable Center, serves as a lead-in to Liz Claiborne Inc.’s seventh annual It’s Time to Talk Day, on Wednesday (Dec. 8).

Mariska Hargitay of NBC-TV’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and founder and the president of the Joyful Heart Foundation, appears in the documentary and will introduce the film at the screening. Meredith Vieira, co-host of the “Today” show, is the presenter for the evening. The event also features a question-and-answer session with the following experts: Detective Deirdri Fishel of the State College, Pa., Police Department; Kim Wells, executive director, Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence; Yolanda Jimenez, Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, New York City; Linda Fairstein, author and former prosecutor; Melanie Doebler, director, Penn State Public Broadcasting; and Martha Delehanty, Verizon senior vice president - human resources.

“Domestic violence is an issue that impacts families, businesses and communities in every corner of our nation,” said Kathryn C. Brown, Verizon senior vice president - public policy development and corporate responsibility. “Verizon is committed to using its technology and its human and financial resources to raise awareness of the issue and aid in its prevention. We’re proud to take part in Liz Claiborne’s It’s Time to Talk Day and spread the important message of Amy’s story and, hopefully, save lives.”

“Telling Amy’s Story” builds on a successful domestic violence prevention program at Pennsylvania State University. Both the training program and the documentary were funded by more than $400,000 in grants from the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon. Verizon has a long history of supporting organizations that assist domestic violence survivors. During the past four years, the Verizon Foundation has awarded $21 million to nonprofit organizations to support domestic violence prevention.

Through the Verizon Wireless HopeLine® program more than 7 million no-longer-used wireless phones have been collected and recycled or refurbished to support domestic violence survivors, generating $8 million that has been given to local agencies since 2001.

In addition to fostering awareness and prevention of domestic violence, the Verizon Foundation supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational website, Verizon Thinkfinity (www.thinkfinity.org). In 2009, the Verizon Foundation awarded $67.9 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 $26.1 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, NASDAQ: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 93 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 195,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

LIZ CLAIBORNE INC. Since 1991 Liz Claiborne Inc has been working to end domestic violence. Through its Love Is Not Abuse program, the company provides information and tools that men, women, teens and corporate executives can use to learn more about the issue and find out how they can help end this epidemic. For more information, visit www.loveisnotabuse.com.