Newsletter - Highlights

Turn Your Old Cell Phone into a HopeLine

Donate your old phone to Verizon Wireless' Hopeline Program.

The HopeLine program puts wireless phones and services to work to prevent domestic violence.  Give survivors of domestic violence the chance to make a lifesaving call by donating your old wireless phone to Hopeline.  Phones are refurbished and sold and the proceeds go to local non-profit advocacy agencies to provide essential communication tools of wireless phones and wireless services, or cash grants.  Donated phones that cannot be refurbished are recycled in an environmentally safe way.

To donate, place your wireless phone from any service provider, along with the battery and charger in a plastic bag and drop it in one of our donation boxes at the following locations.

2055 L Street NW, Washington DC or call Carolyn Alston 202-581-2835

3901 Calverton Blvd, Beltsville MD or call Denise Darden-Woody 301-595-2322

1310 North Court House Road, Arlington VA or call Hassan Rajah 703-974-8233

1320 North Court House Road, Arlington VA or call Hassan Rajah 703-974-8233

2980 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church VA or call Susan Shaw 703-204-5134

Click Logo for HopeLine Website

Beep Ball Season for the Visually Impaired

Prince Georges Council - Friday Evenings beginning in July  until      August  at 7pm, at the  Woodmore Boys and Girls Sports Park. For more information, please call Joyce Peay at  301-354-5555.

Northern Virginia Council - Wednesday Evenings beginning in July 5th until September 6th at 7:00 pm, at Falls Church High School (7521 Jaquar Trial in Falls Church, Virginia).  For more information, please call Mary Navarro at 703-444-1496.

At the end of the season the two teams, with their volunteers, will come together for the Annual  Inter-League Playoff Game.

Each visually impaired person needs the assistance of a sighted person. 

Many Volunteers Are Needed.

Our Education/Literacy Projects at Area Elementary Schools

* The 2007-2008 Term is in Progress*

Volunteers are Needed for Projects 

from September 2007 through June 2008

COMPUTERS FOR SCHOOLS

At the beginning of the school term, the Alexander Graham Bell Chapter #15 TelecomPioneers donated 2 computers to area elementary schools.  One computer was donated to St. Anthony’s Catholic School in Washington, DC.

The other computer was donated to the Doswell E. Brooks Elementary School in Capital Heights, Maryland for their English to Speakers of Other Languages class. The students did not previously have a working computer and plan to use the new computer to type and print reports, play games, use English CDs, access the internet, and do research. 

Pictured is the ESOL Class with the new computer they received from AGB #15.

AGB is a proud supporter of the troops at the

Walter Reed Army Medical Center - Fisher Houses

in Washington, D.C.

AGB had its Annual Cook-Out for the Troops at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Fisher Houses in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. We had twice as many troops and families participating this year and twice the excitement and fun.

We gave the troops gifts of Verizon Phone Cards, Dinner Gift Cards, and God Bless America Tee Shirts. Sparky the Fire Dog (from the Fairfax County VA Fire Department) gave away books, hug-a-bears, and dictionaries to the kids. And we all enjoyed lots of great conversation, delicious food, and fellowship.

One wife thanked us because her husband had not been out of his room for more than 15 minutes at a time since he arrived at the Fisher House. But Saturday, he sat outside and talked with us the whole afternoon.

And, to prove it is a small world, the mother of one of the troops, was the sister of a Pioneer in New York. She was so excited she called her sister to tell her “The Pioneers Are Here!” We had a great talk and she really appreciated not having to eat hospital food.

"It is the littlest thing that can make the biggest difference."

TelecomPioneers Receive Award

from the

Walter Reed Army Medical Center - Fisher Houses

Vials of Life

The Alexander Graham Bell Chapter Vials of Life Project began in 2002 with the purchase of 5,000 vials.  To date we have distributed over 2,500 vials within the Washington Metropolitan Area. The Prince George's sheriff's department is our biggest customer.

It is very rewarding to go into an apartment building and see the vial sticker on apartment doors.  If you know of any organization that would like some vials, please contact the Pioneers Office at 202-392-6265 or Judith Ware at 202-529-8974.

Submitted by: Judith Ware, Chapter Chairperson

Paramount's Kings Dominion

TelecomPioneers Family Day!

Sunday, October

10:00 am - 8:00 pm

For Pioneers, Company Employees, Family, and Friends of Verizon.  All tickets must be purchased in advance.  Paramount's Kings Dominion Season Pass not honored on TelecomPioneers Day.

per Person (children 3 and under free) plus Parking.  Tickets go on sale in August.

More information to come or call the office on 202-392-6252.

Volunteers Needed

We will match your talents with the needs of our community.

Many Positions Available:  Executive Committee, Project Chairpersons, Administrative, Committee Members, Fundraising, Education, Beep Ball, Fellowship, Environmental, Community Service Activities, Event Volunteers, Record Keeping, Media, Photographers, Newsletter, and many more.

Please, talk to us about a position for you.  Training Provided.

For more information contact: Denise Darden-Woody on 301-595-2322  or  denise.darden-woody@verizon.com

Annual AGB Reads Day

Our volunteers took their lunch hours and read to 1,995 third graders at 22 Public Elementary Schools throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area (which includes Washington DC, Montgomery County, Prince Georges County, and Northern Virginia).  At the end of the readings, all students received a book.

Annual Easter Egg Hunt for the Visually Impaired

Our Annual Easter Egg Hunt was held on the grounds of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.  The weather held up beautifully.  It was an uplifting experience to see the participants having such a great time finding the beeping eggs.

We had volunteers that included the Delta Gammas from George Washington University, our usual Girl Scout Troop volunteers that have now grown up but still come to volunteer, we had whole families volunteering, Pioneers, Pioneer Partners, Life Members, and people that just wanted to help.

Our 19 visually impaired participants included a van full from the Lighthouse for the Blind and individuals with their families.  One participant traveled two and a half hours from Charlottesville, Virginia to participate with us.  We even recruited some new Beep Ball Players.  In all, we had 40 volunteers and 34 participants (19 visually impaired and 15 sighted).  We blindfolded the sighted participants.  

Sylvia Lett did a great job as chair and the volunteers made it an exciting and safe experience for everybody.

Newsletter - Highlights