Donate Cell Phones For Soldiers

Bergen County has collected 213 old, out-of-use cell phones for a donation to Cell Phones for Soldiers, a non-profit organization that uses funds raised by recycling old phones to buy international calling cards for soldiers deployed overseas. The county collected the phones from the Prosecutor’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Public Works, and the Department of Parks.

The County is also asking residents to help troops call home by donating gently-used cellular phones. With ongoing deployments to combat areas and elsewhere, as many as 369,000 troops are serving in the U.S. military overseas. By donating gently-used cellular phones to Cell Phones for Soldiers, Bergen County residents can provide troops with a precious connection to loved ones back home.

Residents can now donate their phones to the cause at several Bergen County facilities, including:

• The Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute - 281 Campgaw Road, Mahwah
• Bergen County Administration Building - One Bergen County Plaza, Hackensack
• Bergen County Zoo - Van Saun Park, 216 Forest Avenue, Paramus

The cell phone donation drive will run until Friday, June 29, after which the phones will be collected and combined with the County’s donation.

ABOUT CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS INC.

Based in Norwell, MA, Cell Phones for Soldiers Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in 2004 by siblings Robbie and Brittany Bergquist—then 12 and 13 years old. From the recycling of

used mobile phones and cash donations, the organization has collected more than 8.3 million cell phones and provided troops overseas with more than 114 million minutes of free talk time. On average, Cell Phones for Soldiers distributes 12,000 calling cards each week to care package programs, deployment ceremonies, Veterans Administration hospitals, and military bases around the world.

Donated phones are sent to Michigan-based ReCellular for recycling. For every donated phone valued at just $5, Cell Phones for Soldiers is able to provide two and a half hours of free talk time to deployed troops.

For more information www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.

The above is a release from Bergen County.

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