Verizon Wireless is calling on the community to join them in support of Helpmate, Buncombe County’s only crisis-service provider for victims of domestic violence. During the month of October, Verizon will match all donations made to Helpmate dollar for dollar up to $10,000. The call for a community-wide response is aligned with Buncombe County’s eNOugh Campaign, which is a partnership of local organizations, including Helpmate, which aims to curb the troubling uptick of violence against women.
“This matching campaign is a terrific way to join together community partners and residents to speak with a unified voice against domestic violence,” said April Burgess-Johnson, executive director of Helpmate. “We depend on community support year-round in order to empower survivors to escape this violent cycle. With widespread support, the eNOugh Campaign will ebb the tide of domestic violence here in Buncombe County, and we’re glad to be part of it.”
Buncombe County ranked third amongst North Carolina’s 100 counties in 2013 with eight domestic violence-related deaths—a dramatic increase over the previous year. In response, local authorities announced the launch of the eNOugh Campaign as a way to join resources to support preventative education efforts as well as advocacy services for survivors, including support for housing, navigating the legal system, case management, therapeutic family counseling and emergency shelter.
“Since 2001, our HopeLine program has been an important part of the identity of Verizon Wireless,” said Jerry Fountain, president Carolinas/Tennessee Region for Verizon. “Victims in the Asheville area depend on the vital resources provided by Helpmate, and we’re glad to support raising awareness of this issue and enlisting the community in this effort to thwart the disturbing trend of domestic violence related injuries and deaths in Buncombe County.”
Anyone can log on to http://www.helpmateonline.org/donors and donate to Helpmate. Once a gift amount is entered type ‘VZW’ in the subject line to clearly earmark the gift for a HopeLine match.