The collection drive runs through Saturday, Dec. 12. The public can drop off gently used and unwanted cell phones and/or tablets at several public locations throughout Sen. Griffo’s district.

 

Drop-off locations include:  

 

For every donated phone, mobile device or tablet valued at $5, Cell Phones For Soldiers is able to provide 2.5 hours of free talk time to deployed troops via calling cards. All proceeds from the recycled devices will be used to buy long-distance calling cards and other communication services for troops at home and abroad. Some of the phones collected also will go directly into the hands of veterans in need as a part of a recent initiative started by the organization. The phones will come with unlimited talk and text.  

 

This is the 11th year that the collection drive has taken place. Overall, residents throughout Sen. Griffo's Senate District have donated approximately 8,400 devices and have provided troops with approximately 890,000 minutes of free calls. 

 

“The holidays can be a difficult time for members of our military because they are often so far away from their families,” Sen. Griffo said.  “The simple sound of a loved one’s voice can go a long way to lift their spirits. These brave men and women have stepped up to serve our nation, and I am proud to be teaming up again with the Central New York Veterans Outreach Center, Cell Phones for Soldiers and local libraries and businesses to help connect these troops to their families back home.”  

 

"I thank Sen. Griffo for spearheading this initiative and appreciate his ongoing support of the men and women serving in our armed forces and their families,” said Vincent Scalise, Central New York Veterans Outreach Center executive director. “This annual collection drive has helped many veterans and military members. I know that the community will once again steps up to help our troops.”   

 

Cell Phones For Soldiers was founded in 2004 by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist at the ages of 12 and 13. The charity has since 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. Funds raised from the recycling of cellular phones are used to purchase prepaid international calling cards.  

 

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. Since 2004, the charity has provided U.S. troops with more than 400 million “Minutes That Matter” and distributed more than 5 million prepaid international calling cards and have recycled more than 25 million mobile devices, reducing the impact on landfills.   

 

A donation of a mobile device to this community collection drive doesn’t just help connect active military and veterans with loved ones, it also helps protect the environment by properly and safely recycling them so not to cause electronic waste, which can be extremely harmful to the environment if it ends up in a landfill. Electronics such as mobile devices do not last a lifetime, yet they are made with products that are non-disposable, such as cadmium, mercury, and lead as well as lithium batteries and rare-earth minerals, and commonly cased in plastic—all things that can cause damage to water supplies and ecosystems. 

 

Cell Phones For Soldiers works with a recycling partner which dismantles the device securely, identifying which components may be resold for reuse - which helps cut the demand for mining in vulnerable locations, and provide funding for the organization to help service members communicate with home and support veterans in need.  

 

 

***To prepare your mobile phone for donation here are some tips on how to erase all personal information that may be stored on it to protect your privacy:    

 

Remove your phone's SIM card Erase your address book, photos, messages and other stored information.   

 

Restore the device factory settings on your device.    

 

For instructions on how to do this, go to the owner’s manual or to the manufacturers' web site.    

 

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