Old cell phones enable soldiers to call home

FLORENCE - David Messer's family has a long history with the U.S. military.

So it should come as no surprise that the attorney would want to help military men and women by participating in the Cell Phones For Soldiers program.

The program was founded by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist, of Norwell, Mass., with $21 of their own money, after reading about a soldier who ran up a huge phone bill calling his family from Iraq.

The teens began collecting cash and old cell phones, which are sold to ReCellular, a company that refurbishes or recycles them.

The money earned from the sale of the old cell phones is used to purchase prepaid calling cards that are distributed to soldiers stationed in such places as Iraq, Afghanistan and Guam.

Cell Phones for Soldiers, a nonprofit organization, has raised almost $2 million in donations and distributed more than 500,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas.

"The positive impact this has had on our military service people is just outstanding," said Karen Greene, program manager for Cell Phones for Soldiers.

Messer, of Gonce & Messer, Attorneys at Law, said his late father was a 28-year U.S. Air Force veteran. His father and uncles served during World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars.

"My brother was in the Marines in the first Gulf War," Messer said. "I was a military brat."

Messer said he heard about Cell Phones for Soldiers through news reports. He also received a prepaid mailer in an order from Amazon.com that he could use to send an old phone to the organization.

"We became the first downtown location to allow people to conveniently drop off their cell phones," Messer said.

He said nine cell phones have been dropped off since they began accepting them about a week ago.

Messer said the program not only serves a good purpose by providing free phone service for the military, but it also keeps old cell phones from ending up in landfills.

He said the law office accepts cell phones during regular business hours.

"Americans will replace an estimated 130 million cell phones this year," said Mike Newman, vice president of ReCellular.

"With the majority of phones either discarded or stuffed in a drawer, most people don't realize that the small sacrifice of donating their unwanted phones can have a tremendous benefit for a worthy cause like Cell Phones for Soldiers," he said.

The Liberty Tax Service branch in Florence has been participating in the Cell Phones for Soldiers program for about three years, said owner/operator Brian Crown.

"In three years, we've probably sent off over 500 phones," Crown said.

Last Thursday, at least 30 phones and several chargers were waiting to be sent to ReCellular.

Crown said Liberty normally has a cell phone drive each year near the end of tax season.

Robbie and Brittany Bergquist's father, Bob Bergquist, said the organization was started as a small way to show his family's appreciation for the sacrifices made by the U.S. armed forces.

"Over the past few years, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of others," Bergquist said.

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@TimesDaily.com.