Verizon has promises to keep – making our company even stronger in corporate character as well as on the bottom line.

Our commitment to social responsibility includes: corporate governance; financial reporting and customer privacy guidelines; environmental and diversity programs; investments to promote economic growth and community development; and support for local and national charitable organizations through volunteerism and contributions.

While we have thousands of nonprofit partners and contribute to a broad range of charitable concerns, literacy is one priority that extends across all Verizon business units. Under the banner of our signature Verizon Reads program, we engage in a number of initiatives to increase awareness of this critical issue, raise money and encourage collaboration among literacy organizations.

One of our most effective weapons in the fight for literacy is our engaged and committed workforce. For example, every year employees all across Verizon participate in Season’s Readings, our holiday book drive for children. We also have an online literacy resource on SuperPages.com called Enlighten Me, as well as a number of international literacy programs.

More broadly, Verizon matches employee contributions and volunteer hours to any qualified nonprofit organization, which helped extend our helping hand to a wide range of concerns – from the United Way to Junior Achievement, to mentoring programs such as Aspira, to global needs such as disaster relief and the fight against AIDS.

Verizon Wireless also operates a signature program called HopeLine, which resells, refurbishes or recycles used cell phones to provide resources to combat domestic violence.

Corporate responsibility has many dimensions, and Verizon has a long record of leadership in all these areas.

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