Verizon Employees to Aid Relief Efforts in China & Myanmar

In response to the May 12 catastrophic earthquake in China and the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar (formerly Burma) on May 2, Verizon is instituting the Verizon Foundation's Disaster Relief Incentive Program (DRIP).

Under DRIP, the foundation matches employee donations on a 1:1 basis -- up to a maximum of $1,000 per year, per employee to a designated nonprofit relief agency.

Employees can now designate contributions to Save the Children through DRIP and have their contributions matched for a two week period beginning Monday, June 2nd through Friday, June 13, 2008.

Save the Children is responding to the immediate needs of hundreds of thousands of children and their families providing food and nonfood items, including clean water and shelter. Once most urgent needs are met, longer-term recovery initiatives will focus on education, child protection, livelihoods, health and nutrition.

If you have already made a donation to Save the Children to support relief efforts and registered it via the Verizon Foundation's Matching Gift Incentive Program (MIP), the Verizon Foundation will automatically re-register your MIP gift as a DRIP gift.

The need is staggering. In China, nearly 15 million people have been left homeless; the death toll is near 70,000; and some 21,000 people are still listed as missing. In Myanmar, the storm left 134,000 people dead or missing, and the United Nations estimates that 2.4 million survivors face hunger and homelessness.

Verizon Employees may make donations via check or credit card. If you send a check, make sure you indicate VZ - China or VZ - Myanmar in the memo field of your check.

  1. You must register your donation with the Verizon Foundation. Go to: http://foundation.verizon.com/v2
  2. You must register your donation with Save the Children. Please use the following links: