01/24/2007 - BASKING RIDGE, NJ ? Verizon Wireless, a recognized corporate leader in domestic violence awareness, said today that the company will donate $50,000 through its HopeLine program to Break the Cycle for ?TheSafeSpace.org,? a one-of-a-kind online community designed to connect, communicate and inform. The site will give teens nationwide access to the information and resources needed to understand and develop healthy relationships.

With its launch this week, TheSafeSpace.org will offer a safe, confidential and interactive Web-based environment for teens and those concerned about a young person's safety. TheSafeSpace.org will provide tools of prevention and intervention to help teens identify and build healthier relationships.

?Break the Cycle is thrilled to have the support of Verizon Wireless. It is wonderful to work in partnership with a company that so clearly understands innovative technology is essential to connecting with teens nationwide,? said executive director Jessica Aronoff.

The donation is the result of Verizon Wireless' HopeLine Phone Collection Drives held at more than 2,000 Wal-Mart locations during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Throughout the month, wireless customers donated thousands of no-longer used wireless phones, all of which will be refurbished and reused, or recycled in an environmentally-sound way, by the HopeLine program.

Proceeds from HopeLine benefit victims of domestic violence and non-profit advocacy agencies, providing essential communication tools of wireless phones and wireless services, and financial grants.

Since the phone recycling and re-use part of the program became national in 2001, HopeLine has donated more than $10 million in financial grants, phones and services, including the donation of more than 40,000 wireless phones to agencies for victims' use, and has collected more than 3.5 million wireless phones to raise funds for domestic violence victims and advocacy organizations.