Verizon donates to Middle Way

Bloomington's Middle Way House has $2,500 more to support youth programs thanks to the mobile phone giant Verizon Wireless. Verizon pledged the money to the Bloomington organization formed more than 30 years ago to combat domestic violence and protect women and children who are its victims. The donation marks the 10-year anniversary of Verizon's HopeLine program.\n"Domestic violence awareness and prevention is our top priority when it comes to community relations," said Michelle Gilbert, a spokeswoman for Verizon.\nShe said the company chose domestic violence prevention as its primary charitable cause because it affects many of Verizon's customers and employees.\nThe donation is both sorely needed and will be well used, said Toby Strout, the executive director of the Middle Way House.\n"We're actually entering 2005 with a $240,000 shortfall out of a $2.1 million budget," she said.\nMiddle Way will spend the grant money on youth enrichment programs such as homework help and tutoring, holiday excursions, weekend camping trips and teen support groups, Strout said.\nShe said the national average for battered women who return to abusive homes is between 55 and 70 percent. Only between eight and 20 percent of victims return to abusive relationships after coming to Middle Way House, Strout said.\n"We're on a very, very short list of model programs used by the U.S. Department of Justice," she said. \nIn 2000, the charity sheltered 152 women and 148 children and provided nearly 5,500 hours of shelter to battered woman and children.\nGilbert said the recent cash donation is only the most recent development in the Verizon's ongoing efforts to help prevent domestic violence. With HopeLine, its flagship program, the company collects and refurbishes unwanted mobile phones. They donate the phones, as well as free air time and voice mailboxes to charities. Gilbert said the phones help give victims an added degree of protection.\n"Domestic violence survivors really benefit from that added safety and security and that's why we donate phones and airtime," she said.\nThe Middle Way House offers many services to help protect women and children from domestic violence like legal helping in filing protective orders, said junior Chelsea York, who volunteers at the charity. The organization also monitors court cases and notes who the perpetual offenders are.\n"Are domestic violence cases being prosecuted, are they being dismissed?" she said. "Someone needs to make sure something is being done about domestic violence."\nAll three women agreed that the work Middle Way does is extremely important, and that's why the charity deserves the money. \n"The Middle Way House is actually one of these services that can make the difference between life and death for abused women and children," Strout said.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Michael Zennie at mzennie@indiana.edu.