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Yorktown Heights, NY, August 6, 2010 -- The Hudson Valley Chapter of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) will be able to expand two of its community outreach programs as a result of a $5,000 grant to the organization from the Verizon Foundation.
The grant will be awarded to GLSEN at a ceremony Tuesday, August 10th at 1:00 PM at Westchester Jewish Community Services, 845 North Broadway, White Plains, NY 10603. All are welcome to attend.
“We are so grateful for the recognition and support of Verizon in our work protect the lives and safety of not only our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ) youth, but of all youth,” said Mary Jane Karger, GLSEN Hudson Valley’s Chapter Co-Chair .
Half of the grant will be used by GLSEN to support a project in collaboration with the Children's Media Project of Poughkeepsie. It will develop a public service announcement (PSA) to promote awareness of Internet safety among teenagers.
"The Internet is a wonderful place for learning, discovery and interacting with others," said Catherine Gasteyer, Verizon Director for External Affairs in Midstate, NY. "This unique project will help to educate, raise awareness and empower the teens in our community to use the Internet wisely and safely."
The PSA will be shown on local public access television networks, posted on GLSEN partners’ websites and social networking forums, and exhibited at the 12th annual PrideWorks for LGBT Youth Conference on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY to an audience of approximately 500 adults and youth.
The remainder of the Verizon grant will be dedicated to supporting the PrideWorks Conference. GLSEN is one of three organizations that collaborate to plan this event. The others are the Westchester chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and Center Lane (Westchester Jewish Community Services’ Community Center for LGBT youth.) The conference’s mission is to inform local communities about the realities of growing up LGBT, to inspire them to respect and support LGBT people and to advocate for positive change.
“Verizon is excited to support this year’s conference. One important workshop we will be supporting will teach young people ways to safely use the Internet and participate in social networking,” said Gasteyer.
About GLSEN Hudson Valley (www.glsen.org/hudsonvalley)
GLSEN Hudson Valley, a voluntary body, is part of a national, not-for-profit education organization, whose mission is to make schools safe for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. The Hudson Valley Chapter includes the counties of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange and Ulster.
About PrideWorks for LGBT Youth Conference
In 1999, GLSEN Hudson Valley and PFLAG Westchester started the forerunner of PrideWorks, called Healing the Hurt conference. One hundred and twenty-five adults attended the first year. Over the years it has grown to more than 500 attendees, with more than half of them being middle and high school students. All attendees come to this full day educational conference with a desire to make their schools, families and agencies more supportive of the LGBT community. The program includes two meals, a keynote presenter and three workshops of one’s choosing. The evaluations have consistently been very positive, thus affirming the importance and relevance of the conference.
About the Verizon Foundation
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational Web site, Verizon Thinkfinity (www.thinkfinity.org), and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2009, the Verizon Foundation awarded $67.9 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in an additional $26.1 million in combined contributions to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation’s largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 5 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 mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 91 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of approximately 222,900 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.
