Helping those affected by domestic violence: Sojourner Family Peace Center awarded a $20,000 grant

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Milwaukee’s Sojourner Family Peace Center was awarded a $20,000 grant from HopeLine® from Verizon as part of a financial pledge made through “Because Voices Have Power,” a social media campaign that encouraged the public to share messages of hope to domestic violence victims and survivors through their social channels.

For every message of hope using the hashtag #VoicesHavePower, Verizon donated $3 toward domestic violence prevention and awareness programs and initiatives. The campaign was supported by consumers and domestic violence organizations across the country and garnered more than 118,000 messages of hope since its launch over the summer. The financial pledge made through the campaign will aid organizations, such as Sojourner Family Peace Center, in enhancing their domestic violence awareness, prevention and empowerment efforts.

“Together, we have an opportunity to lead and take a stand against domestic violence,” said Andrea Meyer, IL/WI Region public relations manager, Verizon Wireless. “With the #VoicesHavePower campaign and the power of social media, Milwaukeeans truly raised their voices to support Sojourner Family Peace Center and all those they serve.”

The donation made to Sojourner Family Peace Center will support their education and training programs promoting self-efficacy and economic freedom for the 9,500 victims and survivors the organization serves.

"Verizon's ‘Because Voices Have Power’ campaign was a powerful effort,” said Carmen Pitre, executive director, Sojourner Family Peace Center. “We were pleased to participate and believe that these types of actions are essential and necessary to end the cycle of domestic violence. This campaign in particular gave support, courage and hope to those who have been impacted by domestic violence – reminding them that they matter and that they have the power to make positive changes for themselves and their families.”

Sojourner Family Peace Center has served the community of Milwaukee since 1975. The Center’s primary goals are to ensure the safety of victims of family violence and to provide a pathway out of violence for victims and abusers through opportunities to make positive and lasting changes for themselves and their children. Sojourner Family Peace Center is the largest nonprofit provider of domestic violence prevention and intervention services in Wisconsin, serving over 9,500 clients each year. Sojourner provides an array of support aimed at helping families affected by domestic violence achieve safety, justice and well-being.

Verizon is committed to helping the nearly one in four women, one in seven men and more than 3 million children in the United States affected by domestic violence each year. Through its HopeLine program, Verizon has donated more than 180,000 phones to survivors of domestic violence, and awarded more than $21 million in cash grants to its partner agencies. Through HopeLine, Verizon collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries, chargers and accessories to benefit victims and survivors of domestic violence. To learn more about the HopeLine program and how you can get involved, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.