Hoosiers donated 18,478 no-longer-used wireless phones to HopeLine from Verizon in 2011 to support and put resources into the hands of domestic violence survivors in Indiana, including more than 2.7 million minutes of airtime to maintain critical and daily connections with employers, doctors and schools.

The number of phones reflects a 23 percent annual increase in donations from Hoosiers during a year when economic pressures and unemployment brought increasing numbers of families seeking aid to Indiana shelters.

HopeLine wireless phone donations are accepted at all Verizon Wireless communications stores across the nation, including those in Evansville.  For a complete list of stores, visit: http://www.verizonwireless.com/storelocator.

The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library has scheduled a number of programs to celebrate Evansville’s Bicentennial.  Events are open to all ages of the public.

River City: A Community Art Project
Now through February 14, share what you love about Evansville.  Contributions will be featured in artwork with Evansville as the theme.  Written submissions accepted at all EVPL locations.  Or, work on a project that will be added to the artwork at our guided participation events at Central Library:

• January 31, 3:30 pm  
• February 14 & 28, 11:30 am
• Fridays, now-February 24, 3:30 pm

Toyota Indiana recently gave more than $93,000 to nonprofit organizations who applied for grants through its philanthropy program.  Grants were split between 38 nonprofit organizations in ten counties.

The Philanthropy Committee, which is made up of team members from different departments of the auto manufacturing plant, reviews grant applications and selects programs for funding on a quarterly basis.