Verizon HopeLine cell phone drive helps domestic violence survivors

CHICAGO – Oct. 28, 2014. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon brought her office's fourth annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month cell phone drive to a successful conclusion with the presentation of two $5,000 donations from Verizon's HopeLine program to the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois and Chicago-based Connections for Abused Women and their Children.

"Organizations like these help survivors to protect their families and themselves as they get back on their feet after abusive relationships," Simon said. "Each year, Domestic Violence Awareness Month is about educating ourselves about domestic violence. I hope this has called some attention to the issue, and I know that the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois, and Connections for Abused Women and their Children will use this money to help those who most need it."

Collected phones will be donated to Verizon's HopeLine program. Phones will be refurbished and sold, with the proceeds going to support local domestic violence shelters and programs. The program also provides domestic violence agencies with wireless phones and airtime for use by domestic violence victims. If a phone can't be refurbished, it will be recycled in an environmentally sound way.

"Verizon is dedicated to supporting organizations like Connections and the Violence Prevention Center," said Mike McMahon, director of business sales, Verizon Wireless. "We applaud their important contribution to our community to help victims and raise awareness of the pervasive problem of domestic violence."

Based in Belleville, the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois provides shelter and other services to domestic violence survivors in St. Clair, Monroe and Randolph Counties. The donation will be used to support the services provided by the Center's legal advocacy program, said Lisa Chilton, Director of Legal Advocacy for the Violence Prevention Center.

"The Violence Prevention Center is grateful to Verizon for this financial gift because of how it will help eliminate the barriers a domestic violence survivor faces when trying to get to safety," Chilton said. "We know lack of resources and legal assistance become barriers to safety. These additional resources will allow victims to get to safety and for the community to focus on the more important question:  "How can we stop this abuser from abusing?"

Half of the proceeds from the drive will also go toward Connections for Abused Women and Children (CAWC). Based in Chicago, the group provides domestic violence relief services to families in need. CAWC Executive Director Stephanie Love-Patterson said the cell phone drive is important and timely.

"On behalf of the board of directors and staff of Connections for Abused Women and their Children, we appreciate the generous gift from Verizon," Love-Patterson said. "These funds will help CAWC to continue to provide life-saving services and work toward our mission of ending domestic violence. We greatly value community partners like you!"

As Lt. Governor, Simon's office has collected more than 4,000 used cell phones to help benefit survivors of domestic violence. Simon's office also launched the Virtual Legal Clinic, a program aimed at providing free, confidential legal consultation to domestic violence survivors in rural and underserved counties. The program, which will continue under the purview of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, connects survivors to lawyers with expertise in family law via internet technology.

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CHICAGO - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will join U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), U.S. Secretary of the Army John McHugh and other officials at the Rock Island Arsenal to tour its Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center and discuss the Arsenal's future. The meeting has been initiated by Sen. Durbin, who chairs the Senate defense appropriation committee.

 

Simon chairs Illinois' Interagency Military Base Support and Economic Development Committee (IMBSEDC) and is overseeing the state's comprehensive economic impact analysis of active military bases in Illinois. The study will calculate the economic impact of the state's military installations and provide the data needed for Congressional, state and business leaders to protect Illinois' military economy at a time of federal cuts.

Simon also initiated House Bill 3939, sponsored by Rep. Eddie Lee Jackson (D-East St. Louis) and Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake), which was signed into law this summer. The new law brings Illinois into alignment with 47 other states by allowing military students to enter the same grade level at their new schools, retain previously-earned credit, and have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities. 

As chair of the IMBSEDC, Simon helps coordinate the state's activities and communications relating to current and former military bases in Illinois. Simon is committed to protecting the state's military operations, installations, and the families of those who selflessly serve our state and country.

DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 7

TIME: 11:45 a.m.

LOCATION: Ben Butterworth Parkway on Great River Trail (on the river near Radisson Hotel, 1415 River Drive), Moline, IL

NOTE: The meeting and tour will be closed to press with a media availability to follow.

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Hundreds of books donated during Du Quoin State Fair will go to students

DuQUOIN - Sept. 15, 2014. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon donated hundreds of books to Du Quoin Community Unit School District 300 today, bringing to a close a back-to-school book drive to promote literacy.

"Thanks to the generosity of so many people, students in Du Quoin are going to find their school library stocked with some brand new titles this year," Simon said. "I would like to thank all the people who donated, and to encourage the students to take advantage of it by getting lost in a good book."

Simon's office collected the books during the Du Quoin State Fair, which ran Aug. 22 to Sept. 1, and gathered books from fairgoers. The Lt. Governor's Office has worked directly with volunteers of the Illinois Reading Council's Illinois Reads program throughout the summer to promote books authored by Illinoisans, and to collect the new and gently-used children's books.

"At Du Quoin Elementary and Middle School, it's our goal to create a resource-rich library for all of our students and encourage them to become life-long readers," said Diana Rea, principal of Du Quoin Elementary School. "We sincerely thank Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon and her office for the generous book donations provided to our libraries. We believe, over time, this donation will help hundreds of students improve their reading skills and increase their overall love of reading. Thank you so much for the considerate gift!"

"The Illinois Reading Council is proud to call Lt. Governor Simon an Illinois Reads ambassador. As such, she has helped us to promote reading all across the state," said Illinois Reading Council Past President Tammy Potts, committee chair for Illinois Reads. "With 36 titles by 36 Illinois authors, Illinois Reads has something for everyone, from read-alouds for babies, to interesting and thrilling books for students and seniors."

District 300 students will be getting plenty of use out of the books; as part of a year-long literacy program, students of the middle school are required to have a library book out at all times.

As an ambassador for Illinois Reads, Simon partnered with the Illinois Reading Council to hold the back-to-school book drive at her tents at the Springfield and Du Quoin State Fairs. Visitors could drop off new or gently used children's books, hear Illinois authors read from their works, and also register to win the 36 books selected for Illinois Reads 2014.

For more information about Illinois Reads, please visit www.illinoisreads.org.

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JJC president Dr. Debra S. Daniels and CRCC President Frank Libby will present the event.