Photo courtesy of Between Friends
Between Friends, a domestic violence organization on the North Side, hung purple ribbons on trees in front of the Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Each ribbon signifies a violence victim.
Donated phones become lifelines for domestic violence victims
BY ERYN ROGERS
OCT 06, 2011
To most people, it’s the forgotten part of an upgrade, something of no value. But to many people who are living in fear of being beaten, it’s a literal lifeline.
During October, which is domestic violence awareness month, those old phones can be donated to organizations that work with violence victims.
“One client I have just escaped,” said Cindy Ramos, a domestic violence court advocate at Mujeres Latinas en Acción. “She’s in a shelter with three children, so she’s the perfect candidate for a phone. She’s the only contact person for her children in the school, so if there’s a problem they have a line.”
Organizations are teaming up with Verizon Wireless during the month to collect and raise money for domestic violence prevention organizations in the state through HopeLine, a program created by Verizon that collects the used cell phones and puts them in the hands of domestic violence victims.
Verizon donates $10 for each donated phone, up to 1,000 phones. Verizon’s match promise – a maximum of $10,000 – will be divided between two organizations, one in Chicago one and Springfield.
“It’s invaluable,” said Yesenia Maldonado, the director of programs at Between Friends, a domestic violence non-profit in Rogers Park. “It’s one of the best programs out there for our survivors.”
Although Friday marks the last day that phones will be matched, Illinois residents can continue to drop off their used cell phones at Verizon Wireless stores. The phones will be distributed to prevention organizations around the state.
Maldonado said Between Friends usually receives 50 phones. Similarly, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, an organization in Pilsen, receives 20 phones from HopeLine, completely free to the victim. Survivors can use the phones to call the police or domestic violence hotlines in case of emergency, to keep in contact with lawyers or other service workers, for employment purposes and for family contacts.
“It might be a crisis, so if they didn’t have a phone available, they wouldn’t be able to place that call, and it could save their life,” said Estela Melgoza, the domestic violence coordinator at Mujeres Latinas en Acción.
Ramos, who works with Melgoza, said that since the organization only has a few phones to give away, a client is evaluated by the organization’s counselor before a phone is assigned.
The money from phones collected in Chicago will go to the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network, and the money from phones collected in Springfield will go to the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Brandon Jones, the director of policy at the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said his organization is using its money to start a virtual legal clinic that provides pro-bono attorneys to domestic violence survivors in rural areas throughout the state.
“I know what a difference it makes to individuals to have a lifeline, just to be able to get help when they need it,” Jones said. “A lot of times fear is the barrier to having access to that help, but a lot of times a phone can diminish some of the fear.”
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