By Michael Martz
The Richmond Times-Dispatch
RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Police Sgt. Carol D. Adams says she is shy, but she certainly isn’t silent.
Adams was 17 when her mother was killed by her father. Now 45, the former detective has found her voice by raising money to help other local families hurt by domestic violence.
“It’s important to me to create awareness,” she said today at Richmond police headquarters, where Verizon Wireless packed up used cell phones and chargers that Adams collected to raise money for local domestic violence programs.
Adams, a shift supervisor in the 4th Precinct, estimated her latest trove at 1,500 phones. Verizon officials put the number closer to 5,000, all collected since October for the company’s HopeLine program.
HopeLine has collected more than 4.5 million cell phones nationwide since 2001 and raised more than $5 million that it has donated to programs to combat domestic violence. The company also has distributed free wireless phones for victims and has conducted seminars to help people recover their lives.
Adams has been collecting cell phones to raise money for domestic violence programs since 2001. Since 2003 she has been working with Verizon because the company returns the money to Virginia. Verizon estimates it has raised more than $300,000 for Virginia charities through HopeLine since 2004.
The phones are shipped at Verizon’s expense to ReCellular, a company in Michigan that restores reusable phones and scavenges the rest for parts. The company pays Verizon, which distributes the money.
One of the beneficiaries is the YWCA of Richmond, which used $10,000 raised by Adams to build a playground for children at the charity’s shelter for victims of domestic violence. She also raised money to repair the shelter’s heating system.
The playground was dedicated two years ago as a memorial to Adams’ late mother, Orine. Adams and her sister, Richmond Sheriff’s Deputy Patsy Turner, played on the swing set to celebrate.
“I love to swing,” Adams said with a smile. “I’m just a big kid.”
Copyright 2008 The Richmond Times-Dispatch