LIVINGSTON, N.J., Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks to the generosity of Verizon New Jersey landline customers who participated in the company's Check Into Literacy program, 34 nonprofit organizations across New Jersey will share $110,000 in grants to support education programs, particularly those that use technology for teaching, learning and reaching more people.  

Verizon presented the grants to the nonprofits at a reception Thursday (Sept. 15) in Livingston.

"Education gives children and adults endless opportunities.  More than knowledge, it teaches skills and gives individuals the power to better manage their future," said Dennis M. Bone, president of Verizon New Jersey. "Using technology such as our network to deliver educational programs will help empower even more individuals through education, thanks to the generosity of our customers helping to promote a stronger New Jersey.  The grants made possible through the Check Into Literacy program will allow nonprofit groups in the state to give thousands of New Jerseyans the tools they need for educational achievement and job success."

The program allows Verizon landline telephone customers to support education by checking a box on their monthly phone bills to make a $1 tax-deductible donation.  Verizon then distributes these donations to local organizations that serve the individual states in which the customers live.

Grants have been awarded to the following organizations:

• Adler Aphasia Center, Maywood
• Bergen Family Center, Englewood
• Bethel Ridge Corporation, Basking Ridge
• Brand New Day, Elizabeth
• Calvary Cares CDC Inc., Englewood
• Elizabethport Presbyterian Center, Elizabeth
• Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, Paramus
• Homefront, Lawrenceville
• Hudson County Community College Foundation, Jersey City
• Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey, Cherry Hill
• Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest Inc., East Orange
• Josephine's Place, Elizabeth
• Literacy Volunteers of America – West Hudson Inc., Kearny
• Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester County, Sewell
• Literacy Volunteers of Hunterdon County, Flemington
• Literacy Volunteers of Mercer County, Hamilton
• Literacy Volunteers of Morris County, Morristown
• Literacy Volunteers of New Jersey (Bridgewater), Metuchen
• Literacy Volunteers of Sussex County, Newton
• Literacy Volunteers of Union County, Plainfield
• Mercer Street Friends, Trenton
• Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Foundation, Newark
• Newark Museum, Newark
• Ocean Harbor House Inc., Toms River
• People and Stories, Gente Y Cuentos, Trenton
• PLUS/Project Literacy U.S., Hackensack
• Rider University, Lawrenceville
• Saint Vincent Academy, Newark
• The Global Literacy Project Inc., New Brunswick
• Tri-County Community Action Agency Inc., Bridgeton
• United Plainfield Community Development Corp., Plainfield
• Woodland Community Development Corp., Camden
• Youth Consultation Service, Hackensack
• YWCA, Princeton    

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. In 2010, the foundation awarded nearly $67 million to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered nearly 6 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 consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 106 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon