Brittany and Robbie Berquist (12 and 13) heard of a soldier who had a $8,000 phone bill from talking to his family wile serving in Iraq. They wanted to help him pay for this, so they started a bank account with only $21. Soon after, they began having bake sales and car washes to raise money. They realized that they could collect old cell phones, and set up drop off stations around their town. With the help of volunteers, stations were set up across the country, and donations of unused phones started pouring in. They were soon able to pay for that soldiers bill, and started something bigger. They started to send prepaid phone cards to troops over seas so that they can talk to their family. They called it “Cell Phones for Soldiers”. Since then, over 7.5 million unused phones have been collected and 90 million minutes worth of cards were sent to troops that are fighting for our country.
This is so interesting! So many people throw away things without thinking of their uses. This reminds me of a trip to the dump I took. I was astonished at how many useful things were discarded. I wonder what other things we are throwing away without thinking?
This is actually pretty smart. What we’re doing with the laptop for that school in Africa is much the same, using what is easily available to give them. They don’t have to buy them, people who get rid of their home phones will give them. They raise money to send them and give the soldiers minutes. This is amazing to show how much we actually care for our soldiers.
-Reese O.
Ive always liked when people do things for our soldiers, because they really deserve some of the things that seem like nothing to us, when really the ability to talk to family can help them through the fighting, and give them a new feeling of wanting to do whatever they can to come home to their families. Having these cheap gsm phones is probably one thing that might be able to keep a soldier from having PTSD if he is able to at some point to talk with someone and relieve themselves from thinking about the fighting.
This is a very good idea. I think it is good to help out others in this way. It is smart to think of something like reusing old cell phones. It not only helps the soldiers, but also the environment. The phones aren’t being used for waste.luoqiyin666