First Lady Jane Beshear helped kick off an initiative Wednesday that seeks to turn used cell phones into hope for victims of domestic violence.
"Lots of times when there's a problem as big as domestic violence is, we say I can't do anything, it's just too big, it's beyond me," Beshear began. "But you can."
The organizers of the Hopeline program, run by Verizon, want that message to ring loud and clear with cell phone users – specifically those who are getting ready to dump their old phones and chargers.
"Some will be refurbished and donated to domestic violence shelters, others will be recycled, but all the proceeds from collecting the phones will fund a domestic violence program," Kentucky Commission on Women chair Madeline Abramson explained.
She’s referring to an effort dubbed “Worksafe,” which provides domestic violence prevention training for Kentucky businesses. Data show one in four women will be victims of domestic violence during their lifetime in the U.S. In Kentucky the statistic is one in three.
HopeLine collection boxes will be set up in Verizon stores and other locations throughout the state through October.
