Sen. Brady: Old cell phones help domestic violence victims         

[DEC. 14, 2006]  SPRINGFIELD -- If the holiday season brings a new cell phone, state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, is asking that 44th District residents consider donating the old phone to a national program that helps protect victims of domestic violence.

Phones can be donated to the Call to Protect or the HopeLine phone recycling programs.

Brady says it is important that residents deactivate their wireless service before they donate their phones.

The Call to Protect program provides phones, with matching air time, to domestic violence agencies. In addition, the funds generated through Call to Protect collections and other wireless industry programs have provided grants totaling more than $10 million to national organizations leading the campaign to end domestic violence.

The HopeLine program collects no-longer-used wireless phones and equipment in any condition from any service provider. The used phones are either refurbished or recycled. With the funds raised from the sale of the refurbished phones, Verizon Wireless donates wireless phones and air time to victims and provides funding and other contributions to nonprofit domestic violence shelters and prevention programs across the country. Used phones can be returned to any Verizon Wireless retail store nationwide.

For both programs, residents can mail wireless phones and equipment to ReCellular Inc., 2555 Bishop Circle West, Dexter, MI 48130. Designate which program -- Call to Protect or HopeLine -- is to receive the phone.

[News release from Sen. Bill Brady]