Giving Back: Cell Phones For Soldiers

It has become obvious to everyone that now is the time to become more conciencious about the choices we make. Job loss is high, as well as prices at the pump, a recession is upon us which no one seems to be able to see the way out of, and on top of that, a war is raging in Iraq. Our minds are now turned to not only how we can maintain ourselves but also how we can help others in our communities maintain. This mind frame  has become apparent not only to the adult world but also to young people. And it seems that communication is the tie that binds it all.

When Robbie and Brittany Bergquist heard about a soldier in Iraq who had managed to rack up an almost eight thousand dollar phone bill by calling home they resolved to help. By having bake sales, car washes, and other various fundraisers they gathered enough money to help the soldier pay his debt, but that was only the beginning. The two Bergquist kids then came up with a better idea, one that would be doubly helpful. They decided to recycle old cellphones and use the money gathered to send calling cards to the soldiers fighting in Iraq thus Cell Phones for Soldiers was formed. It would open a path for soldiers to make calls home to their families without the worry of unnaturally high cell phone bills. It also helps get all those unwanted phones out of closets and drawers and back into usable materials.

The program has been running since April 2004 with only 21 dollars it has since raised over 2 million dollars and distributed over 500,000 phone cards to soldiers in Iraq. AT&T has since jumped in to help the non-profit by opening some of their stores as designated donation hubs. Not to mention recently providing the two deserving teens with hefty scholarship awards. This program has effectively bridged the gap between helping families and helping the planet. So the next time it’s time you open up that drawer filled with old cell phones or your ready to upgrade your phone, think about who that old phone could help. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s call home.