Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Jed Boal reportingHearing the voices of loved ones at home is critical for troops abroad. Now, you can give an American soldier a chance to do that while you clear out some clutter at the same time.
Local franchise owners with Liberty Tax Service and Army recruiters are collecting cell phones this weekend. They send them off to a national organization that turns them into minutes on calling cards.
Soldiers deployed to Iraq know the real value of phone contact with home. "From my experience, it's more important for the people at home. They want to know you're OK. For you, it gives you a peace of mind. You can call home and say ‘I'm fine. Everything's all right," explained Sgt. Kenyon Roberts, recruiting station commander.
On a windy day, Roberts and his group joined Liberty Tax Service for a two-day "Cell Phones for Soldiers Roadside Party." Cell Phones for Soldiers collects old cell phones and sells them. Margie Brochinsky, a tax service franchise owner, said, "Then uses the money that's collected to purchase calling cards. Those calling cards are sent to our fighting men and women overseas, so they can contact their families without incurring any expense."
The goal this weekend is to collect 5,000 cell phones to be converted into 350,000 minutes in calling cards. For each donated cell phone, a 70-minute calling card is given to a soldier to call home.
Plenty of people probably got a new phone for Christmas, so this is a great time to give up you old cell phone for a good cause. Brochinsky says the phone is being recycled, so it's not going into a landfill. She says, "Each cell phone will be sold for between $2 and $20. The phones are used at women's shelters and other organizations that need them.
Organizers are looking for donations of phones, chargers, batteries--working or non-working--and all accessories. Roberts unloaded several phones. "It's a good thing we're getting it out there, so other soldiers out there will know about this program, too," he said.
They're holding another roadside party tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 4370 S. State St. For more information on the program, click the related link.
