Cell Phones for Soldiers

The American Legion Post No. 294 and non-profit Cell Phones for Soldiers Inc. are asking Powder Springs 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, Powder Springs residents can provide troops with that precious connection to loved ones back home.

Residents can donate their phones to the cause at American Legion locations, including American Legion Post No. 294, 3282 Florence Road, Powder Springs, GA 30127-3854.

Gerald Blair from The American Legion family reminds friends and family that 100 percent of phones and money donated for minutes goes to the Cell Phones for Soldiers program—no administration or handling fees are charged.

“With the season of giving upon us let’s not forget our defenders of freedom, our United States military members,” Blair says.

Cell Phones for Soldiers Fast Facts

• In 2011, Cell Phones for Soldiers shared 690,000 communication tools with military families, providing more than 41 million minutes of talk time.
• The program collected and recycled 1.5 million phones in 2011.
• Since 2004, Cell Phones for Soldiers has provided more than 168 million minutes of free talk time.
• Since 2004, more than 10.5 million cell phones have been recycled, reducing the impact on landfills.
• About 12,000 calling cards are mailed each week.
• A $5 donation warrants 2.5 hours of talk time; a $100 donation gives 50 hours or 3,000 minutes of talk time.
• There are about 15,000 collection points across the nation

Siblings Robbie and Brittany Bergquist founded Cell Phones for Soldiers at the ages of 12 and 13. The charity has since provided more than 114 million minutes of free talk time to service men and women stationed around the world. Funds raised from the recycling of cellular phones are used to purchase pre-paid international calling cards. On average, Cell Phones for Soldiers distributes 12,000 calling cards each week to bases around the world, care package programs, deployment ceremonies and VA hospitals.

“Each year we have been humbled by the amount of people and organizations like The American Legion that take the initiative to support our troops,” co-founder Brittany Bergquist said. “We have also watched the communication gap between our armed forces and their loved ones continue to grow as more troops are deployed for their third or fourth tour overseas.”

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.

Cell Phones for Soldiers Inc. (CPFS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing deployed and returning troops cost-free methods to communicate with family while serving in the United States military. Based in Norwell, Mass., CPFS was founded in 2004 by Robbie and Brittany Bergquist, then 12 and 13 years old. From the recycling of used mobile phones and cash donations, the organization has raised more than $7 million, collected more than 8.3 million cell phones and provided troops overseas with more than 114 million minutes of free talk time. For more information, visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com. Find the organization on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JoinCellPhonesforSoldiers.