Verizon donates a jaw-dropping $10 million for Hurricane Harvey disaster relief
While Hurricane Harvey has been devastating, there has been one positive aspect -- it has shown that people are still willing to help their fellow man. After the tragedy in Charlottesville, it felt like humanity was on the decline, but the outpouring of donations and support for the affected people in Texas has warmed my heart and renewed my faith. Not only have both people and organizations donated money, but time and resources too. Google, for instance, has been helping in many ways.
Today, Verizon also pledges money to the folks affected by Harvey, but its donation dwarfs those made by many other companies. The company is not only promising a jaw-dropping $10,000,000, but it will help the people of Texas in other ways too.
"Verizon today announced support of South Texas through a $10 million pledge to fund Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. The nation's most reliable wireless provider has partnered with local and state government officials to identify four non-profit agencies to support that are working on-the-ground on both immediate and long-term needs. Verizon will share the specific details regarding the non-profits in the coming days," says Verizon.
ALSO READ: Google shows love to those affected by Hurricane Harvey
Lowell McAdam, Verizon chairman and CEO, Verizon says, "It is heartbreaking to witness a disaster of this magnitude; our hearts and full support go out to the communities being impacted by Hurricane Harvey, including our own customers and employees. Verizon is committed to working alongside disaster relief partners to help return a sense of normalcy to residents and restore the areas impacted by the storm. Houston and South Texas are vital to the fabric of America and we want to be on the front lines of the rebuilding efforts."
In addition to the massive $10 million, Verizon is also helping in the following ways.
- Relieving postpaid customers of data, talk and text charges and giving prepaid customers an extra 3 GB to be used for data, talk and text from August 26 through September 15. The September 15 date reflects a one-week extension to what was previously announced.
- Deploying mobile equipment including Cells on Wheels (COWs), and Cells on Light Trucks (COLTS) to supplement service in areas of South Texas that need extra network capacity. Verizon has staged additional equipment and is prepared for rapid deployment as needed in hard-hit areas. This initiative is part of a network investment of nearly $1 billion in 2016 in the state of Texas.
- Working closely with several federal and local government agencies to help support first responders on the ground with much needed communications services.
- Staffing shelters with Verizon employees in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio to assist first responders and displaced residents with mobile charging, internet access and other communications needs.
- Along with its subsidiary Oath, the company is providing financial support to residents of Houston and South Texas with dollar-for-dollar matches of employees' contributions to select relief-focused organizations. Oath also will match consumers' contributions to select relief-focused organizations when they donate after visiting one of Oath's web properties. More information can be found at https://yahoo.benevity.org/community.
- Offering emergency financial assistance to employees who have been affected by this tragedy though both its employee assistance program and its VtoV program where employees can donate funds to help fellow employees affected by a natural or personal disaster. In addition, to reinforce our long- term commitment to the communities we serve, Verizon will be offering its more than 10,000 employees who work in the states of Texas and Louisiana the opportunity to volunteer for the Harvey recovery effort over the coming months and receive up to a week of paid volunteer time.
While it isn't a contest, Verizon deserves a round of applause for donating so much more than similar corporations -- its promised amount of $10,000,000 is very impressive. It is refreshing to see that the company isn't just throwing money at the problem, however, as all of its other promised initiatives are appreciated too. If you want to join Verizon in donating, you can send money to the Red Cross here.
What do you think of Verizon's donation? Please tell me in the comments below.
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