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Cell Phones for Soldiers was started in 2004 by two teenagers
who heard about a soldier’s $8,000 phone bill so they wanted to
help. They raised enough money to pay off the bill and decided
to expand the program.
The organization collects new and gently used cell phones and
tablets to be refurbished or recycled. Proceeds from the sales
will be used to send prepaid international calling cards to U.S.
troops and to provide emergency funding to veterans.
Since its inception, the charity has provided more than 300
million minutes of free talk time to servicemen and women
stationed around the world through its calling card program,
Minutes That Matter.
Illinois Sen. Scott Bennett, R-Champaign, is collecting phones
at his Danville and Champaign offices until November 15.
“This is a great program that allows our troops to stay
connected to their families and is a way we can all support our
troops,” said Bennett.
Phones can also be dropped off at numerous other locations,
including fire and police stations.
Donors are asked to erase all personal information that may be
stored on the device to protect personal privacy, remove the
phone’s SIM card and restore the phone to factory settings.
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