For American soldiers stationed overseas during the holidays, nothing beats a phone call home.
In time for the holidays, nearly 2,000 donated cell phones are being used to provide calling cards for America's deployed troops and veterans to call home.
For every donated phone valued at just $5, Cell Phones For Soldiers is able to provide 2 ½ hours of free talk time to deployed troops through calling cards.
A cell phone collection drive – which ran from mid-November through this past Sunday – spanned New York state Senator George Amedore’s district, where the public was able to drop off any used mobile devices at collection bins in AT&T stores throughout the region, as well as more than 15 public locations. “We're able to provide more than 81,000 minutes of talk tiem to our troops: that's 1,350 hours. I can think of no better gift this holiday season than to have the brave men and women who are serving our nation stay connected to their loved ones back home. Their holidays will be a bit brighter thanks to the generosity of residents of the 46th Senate District from all over who donated an old or unwanted cell phone or tablet. It's a small gesture that will make a huge difference.”
Cell Phones For Soldiers was founded in 2004 by Robbie and Brittany Bergquistat the ages of 12 and 13 after they heard the story of a local soldier with a cell phone bill that totaled nearly $8,000. They decided to help this one man with just $21 of their own money: Cell Phones For Soldiers and its trademark calling card program, Minutes That Matter, was born from there.
AT&T's Ed Bergstraesser: "It's important, I think, to note, that since 2004, Cell Phones For Soldiers has provided 216 million minutes of free talk time for soldiers and this initiative here in Senator Amedore's district just pushes that number even further."
On average, Cell Phones For Soldiers distributes 1,500 calling cards each week to bases around the world, care package programs, deployment ceremonies and VA hospitals. AT&T says it and its customers have donated 600,000 calling cards and $4.6 million to servicemen and women overseas since 2007.
- For more information, visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.
