Cell Phones for Soldiers

This is a program that was initiated for the sole purpose of converting old cell phones into millions of calling card with prepaid minutes for the overseas stationed American troops. This initiative rolled out in 2008 and has since strived to establish a large network of over 3000 collection sites around the country to college at least fifty thousand cell phones every month.

For every phone, the ReCellular offers payment enough to allow soldiers stationed overseas to talk to their loved ones for an hour. According to ReCellular’s Vice President Mike Newman, at least 130 million cell phones will be replaced by Americans towards this cause.

There is a growing awareness among people to use their unwanted phones for a worthy cause rather than leaving them discarded at the bottom of the drawer. This wonderful program was founded by Brittany and Robbie Bergquist, teenagers from Norwell, Mass. They started the Cell Phones for Soldiers program with $21 of their money.

Today this organization is a nonprofit venture that has distributed calling cards to overseas deployed soldiers numbering 500,000 and raised over two million in donations. This initiative has ambitious future plans too. In the next five years, Cell Phones for Soldiers aims at raising at least $9 million to fund a host of other programs such as providing prepaid video phones to enable soldiers deployed overseas to view their family members regularly.

Those who wish to donate a phone can do so by accessing the Donate a Phone page on the website. Cell phones thus collected are then recycled by the company that purchases them. Money obtained for the old cell phones are then used to purchase and send calling cards to soldiers. It is also possible to directly mail calling cards donated to soldiers. The Cell Phones for Soldiers website also has a Donate Money page where willing donors can make a donation through credit card. Donations are also accepted in the form of money order, check or prepaid calling card.

To find the link to this and many other military aid and charity organizations, please visit the Military Links & Resources page.