Verizon Foundation gives Southwestern University for domestic violence program

Nine Southwestern University interns are currently working full time for 10 weeks this summer for local agencies committed to raising awareness of and preventing domestic violence. The summer internship program is funded with a $50,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation.

From the press release:

“Domestic violenceis a widespread problem that not only impacts families but affects the overall community,” said Suzanna Pukys, Southwestern University director of civic engagement and director of the internship program. “Domestic violence is a pervasive and often invisible issue that we are scrutinizing over the course of the internship. We are working to understand why violence exists in our society, what social structures and norms make it permissible, and what organizations in our community are doing to address it. The generous grant from the Verizon Foundation has cleared away all barriers to student immersion into this important social problem.”

What we think?

This is super. OK, being slightly sceptical I hope that Verizon is not capitalising from all the publicity Chris Brown and Rihanna got –but even if they are – it is an excellent initiative. Domestic violence is a huge social problem and I have to be honest I will buy Verizon next time I am in the US – just for this initiative.