More than 150,000 troops are serving overseas and are away from their families. Cell Phones for Soldiers and Advanced Technologies and Services, Inc (ATS) are calling on all Americans to support these brave men and women by donating your unused cell phones. Cell Phones for Soldiers hopes to collect over 50,000 cell phones this year to help keep troops connected with their families.
“Over the past few years, we have been amazed by the generosity of others. But we have also seen the need for the support of our troops to continue.” says Brittany Bergquist, Cell Phones for Soldiers co-founder. “It is easy for Americans to make a small sacrifice of support by donating their unused cell phones, and providing families with a much-needed connection to their loved ones overseas.”
Local residents can support the collection drive by donating their phones at ATS’ headquarters, located at:
1501 Hamburg Turnpike
4th Floor
Wayne, NJ 07470
“We’re proud to show our support for U.S. soldiers and to contribute to a worthy cause like Cell Phones for Soldiers,” says Ryan Guthrie, Director of Sales & Marketing for ATS.
Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist from Norwell, Mass., with $21 of their own money. Since then, the registered 501c3 non-profit organization has raised almost $1 million in donations and distributed more than 500,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas.
Through increased fundraising efforts, the Bergquist family hopes to raise more than $9 million in the next five years to fund new programs, such as providing video phones and prepaid service to allow soldiers abroad to see their families on a regular basis.
About Cell Phones for Soldiers: Cell Phones for Soldiers was created by Brittany & Robbie Bergquist of Norwell MA. After reading a story about a soldier who ran up a huge phone bill calling home from Iraq, these two teenagers decided to help out. They started by opening an account with $21.00 of their own money. They are collecting cash donations and old cell phones. The cell phones are recycled for cash and the proceeds are used to buy prepaid calling cards for our soldiers serving in the Middle East. Cell Phones For Soldiers is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Their efforts have motivated people and businesses around the country to donate to this worthy cause. Their goal is to provide every US soldier with a way to call home for free. For more information, please visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.