SUNation Solar Systems asked their Long Island customers and staff to join together in collecting gently-used cellular phones and mobile accessories to donate to nonprofit Cell Phones For Soldiers to help troops call home with the support of Senator Phil Boyle at his office and official drop-off location in Bay Shore, NY. Although the military landscape is ever changing, as many as 200,000 troops are serving in the United States military overseas around the world. By donating to Cell Phones For Soldiers, Long Island residents can provide a lifeline for America’s bravest.
“SUNation is proud to sponsor and donate to the ‘Cell Phones for Vets’ program,” said SUNation co-founder and Chief Sales Officer, Mike Bailis. “We all appreciate that our neighbors and friends are leaving their family and comforts of home to protect our interests around the world. Their sacrifice of time away from their family and to be put in dangers way is one of the noblest one can do for your country. By providing ways for our veterans to stay connected to their friends and family and get the emotional support from them helps them justify their commitment to what they do every day. Stay connected, be safe, and come home soon!”
“I applaud SUNation Solar Systems for demonstrating their support of our troops by facilitating the donation of used cell phones to the patriotic non-profit, Cell Phones For Soldiers,” said Senator Phil Boyle. “We are proud to partner with SUNation in assisting such a great organization, providing a lifeline for our brave men and women overseas.”
SUNation Chief Growth Officer, Jim Brennan said, “As a former member of the US Air Force, I’m proud to be part of a company like SUNation that rallies together to support our troops while they are deployed and when they safely return home. Cell Phones for Vets is an amazing program that helps put a small dent in the financial difficulties facing our Veterans.”
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 216 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.
“Each year we have been humbled by the amount of people and organizations like SUNation Solar Systems that take the initiative to support our military members,” said co-founder Robbie Bergquist. “The communication gap between those serving and their families is a crucial need that Cell Phones For Soldiers is committed to addressing for years to come.”
For every donated phone valued at $5, Cell Phones For Soldiers is able to provide two and a half hours of free talk time to deployed troops.
Since 2004, more than 11.7 million phones have been recycled or repurposed. Approximately half of the phones processed are reconditioned and reused. Phones and components that cannot be refurbished are dismantled and responsibly recycled to reclaim materials, including:
Gold, silver and platinum from circuit boards
● Copper wiring from phone chargers
● Nickel, iron, cadmium and lead from battery packs
For more information, please visit www.sunation.com or www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.
ABOUT CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS INC.
Cell Phones For Soldiers Inc. is a national nonprofit dedicated to serving troops and veterans with free communication services and emergency funding. Founded in 2004 by Robbie and Brittany Bergquist, then 12 and 13 years old, Cell Phones For Soldiers has provided more than 216 million “Minutes That Matter” to servicemen and women. Since 2012, “Helping Heroes Home” has provided emergency funds for more than 2,800 veterans to alleviate communication challenges as well as physical, emotional and assimilation hardships. For more information, visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest pages.
