Community Relations

A Yellow Pages Association Industry Excellence Award Community Program 2007.

Mission
Idearc is dedicated to creating communities of readers where our employees and customers live and work. We partner with organizations that supply books to underserved children, promote reading, provide reading mentors and tutors, improve libraries and use technology to encourage reading.

Improving reading skills is important to the success of our communities. A community of readers has more high school and college graduates, highly-skilled workers, stronger economic growth and better paying jobs.

Recent Idearc Community Releases:

D.C. Public Library Unveils New Black Studies Center

Community Relations Information:

Extreme Library Makeovers
National Partners
Volunteerism
Enlighten Me (an online education site)
Idearc's Community Toolkit
Idearc Community Video
Verizon® Yellow Pages Local Heroes Ads

Idearc Media Extreme Library Makeovers
The Idearc Media Extreme Library Makeover concept is based on supporting literacy in a similar way that Habitat for Humanity supports the community -- with human resources. Idearc employees volunteered to refurbish three libraries in 2007. They were given paid time off for this project. Through a $95,000 grant to the American Library Association, Idearc Media provided funds for new furniture, shelving and paint to each library. The Idearc employees transformed the libraries by painting walls, creating murals and artwork, assembling furniture and cleaning.

In Fort Worth, Texas we renovated the Riverside Branch Library so it better reflected the surrounding Hispanic community. In Washington, D.C., we updated the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library's Black Studies Division to encourage more teens to use this valuable resource for African American History. The Wilmington Memorial Library project in Massachusetts involved renovating the second floor with a focus on improving the teen and children's area with bright colors and engaging murals.

These three libraries received valuable improvements during a time when public budgets are unusually tight.

National Partners
Click here for more information on Idearc's national community partners.

Volunteerism
Idearc and Superpages.com® encourage its 7,000 employees to volunteer for projects that improve reading levels; become reading mentors/tutors, refurbish libraries and become non-profit board members. An example of our employee volunteerism is the Idearc Media Extreme Library Makeover -- our employees volunteer their time to refurbish areas in libraries.

In 2007, 250 employees volunteered to refurbish three libraries, providing 1,000 man-hours valued at $18,770. In addition, our artists who design yellow page ads created original artwork and murals for the library. Libraries could not afford this type of original artwork if they had to pay for it -- it would costs thousands of dollars to duplicate this effort. It has been a creative outlet for our artists and a morale booster for our employees and the communities.

Enlighten Me

Enlighten Me is an online literacy program designed to introduce children and parents to Superpages.com with literacy activities in a fun and safe environment, at www.superpages.com/community_education.

Idearc's Community Toolkit

Community Brochure
This brochure explains Idearc’s commitment to promoting literacy.
Community Investment Fact Sheet
This fact sheet highlights Idearc’s commitment to creating communities of readers.
Reading Statistics
Find statistics about the importance of access to books in improving reading levels.

Idearc Community Video
Click here to view our video highlights page with Idearc's Community Video.

Verizon Yellow Pages Local Heroes Ads
These special ads in the Verizon Yellow Pages promote people, instead of the usual businesses or services. Throughout many of our directories, you'll find ads that recognize "Local Heroes" who inspire us all to make our communities better places.

Local Heroes in Your Community:
Edward C. Taylor, Mercer County, New Jersey
Hines Ward, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Lindsay Trout , Washington, D.C.

Debbie Johnson
Community Programs Manager
972-453-6509
debbie.a.johnson@idearc.com