Cell Phones for Soldiers and Cazenovia College Kick Off Cell Phone Collection Drive in Central New York

Cazenovia, NY – More than 150,000 American troops are serving overseas, far away from their families. Cell Phones for Soldiers and Cazenovia College’s Human Services Club are calling on Central New Yorkers to support these brave men and women by donating used, no-longer-needed cell phones. Cell Phones for Soldiers hopes to collect over 50,000 cell phones this year to help keep troops connected with their families.

Cierra Daily of Alexandria Bay, N.Y., a Cazenovia College junior majoring in human services, and a member of the Cazenovia College Human Services Club, is heading up the Cell Phones for Soldiers drive. Cazenovia College is currently the only collection point in Madison County. Donations are tax deductible; donation receipts are available at the collection site.

The College’s Human Services Club takes on a number of human services projects each year, and Daily chose to spearhead Cell Phones for Soldiers because she was involved with a similar program at her high school in Alexandria Bay. “This project appealed to me because I was familiar with the process,” she says, “and knowing I’m doing something that helps so many people makes me feel good.”

Daily asks that used cell phones, in any condition, be dropped off in the collection box located in the alcove on the left, just inside the Coleman Hall entrance at Lincklaen and Seminary streets in Cazenovia. Each donated cell phone provides funds for one hour of talk time to soldiers abroad, given by the recycling center that receives the used phones from the program.

“We’re proud to show our support for U.S. soldiers, and to contribute to a worthy cause like Cell Phones for Soldiers,” says Dr. Mary Handley, associate professor, and director of Cazenovia College’s Human Services Program. “Personally, I’m proud of Cierra, and all the members of the Human Services Club. They participate in projects like this because they know it’s the right thing to do.”

Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded in 2004 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. For more information, please visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.

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Cell Phones for Soldiers and Cazenovia College Kick Off Cell Phone Collection Drive in Central New York

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