ATTORNEY GENERAL CURRAN TO AWARD $10,000 IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION GRANTS

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr., in association with Verizon Wireless, will commemorate October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month by awarding $10,000 in HopeLine wireless phone-recycling grants to be divided between two Maryland domestic violence service providers, one in Baltimore County and one in Prince George’s County. The event will be held Tuesday October 25, 2005 at the Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County.

Along with Verizon Wireless’ generous $10,000 donation, Attorney General Curran will also present the company with more than 200 phones collected at the Attorney General ’s office, continuing a tradition of phone recycling that dates to 2002. The phones will be recycled through the Verizon Wireless HopeLine program to provide future aid to Maryland groups working to prevent domestic violence and to shelter or support victims.

The Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County will receive a $5,000 HopeLine grant to fund a taxi program so domestic violence victims and their children can reach the safety of the Center’s shelter at the time of their choosing. Frequently, victims of domestic violence are forced to leave an abusive relationship on a moment’s notice and often at night when public transportation is not readily available. Many never arrive at the Center’s shelter despite promises made to counselors and hotline advocates that they are on their way, and at least part of the reason is the inaccessibility of public transportation for victims.

The Family Crisis Center of Prince George’s County will receive a $5,000 HopeLine grant to produce domestic violence prevention advertisements to be shown in Prince George’s County movie theaters. The ads will include a hotline phone number as well as information encouraging victims to seek help. Prince George’s County has the unfortunate distinction of having the largest number of protective orders filed. The Family Crisis Center of Prince George’s County is the primary domestic violence service provider and only emergency shelter for battered women and children in the county.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at 10:00 a.m.
Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County Inc.
10 Dunmanway
Baltimore, MD 21222

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