Verizon Wireless said today that consumers and businesses across the country gave 1,068,000 old and no-longer-used wireless phones in 2007 to the company's long-running HopeLine phone recycling and reuse program. The record number represents the most phones collected in one year by HopeLine, and is an increase of more than 15 percent from last year's total of 910,000 phones.

The record collection enabled the HopeLine program, which benefits domestic violence prevention and awareness programs, to award more than $1.7 million in cash grants, generated by the sale of refurbished phones, to more than 330 domestic violence agencies and organizations nationwide.

In 2007, Verizon Wireless also provided nearly 20,000 wireless phones to domestic violence agencies around the country for use by their clients. These HopeLine phones, with 60 million minutes of service in total, or the equivalent of 117 years of nonstop minutes, are valued at $6 million, and are used by victims and survivors of domestic violence to rebuild their lives.

Since the October 2001 launch of Verizon Wireless' national recycling program, the company has collected more than 4.5 million phones and awarded nearly $5 million in cash grants to organizations working to prevent and end domestic violence. HopeLine has also distributed more than 60,000 phones with more than 160 million minutes of free wireless service to be used by victims of domestic violence.

The HopeLine program also includes #HOPE, which can be dialed from any Verizon Wireless handset to immediately connect to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The Hotline provides professional support and referrals to people involved in domestic violence, as well as those who want to help friends and family. The call to #HOPE is toll- and airtime-free.

No-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any wireless service provider are collected in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide. For more information on Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine program and to learn how to donate a wireless phone, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline .