Have you ever wondered what to do with your old cell phone? You can give them a new lease on life by helping people feel safe and secure by donating them to Phones For Life, Inc.
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Have you ever wondered what to do with your old cell phone? You can give them a new lease on life by helping people feel safe and secure by donating them to Phones For Life, Inc.
Used cell phones are traded in for “senior friendly” phones: one is a straight 9-1-1 emergency phone, and the other is the first of its kind, the only one of its kind to be offered free, with “100-in-case-of-emergency” minutes. The phones are then given free to seniors.
The free phone program was the brainchild of Dr. Dee L’Archeveque, an emergency critical care physician, and is an extension of her Domestic Violence Program that has distributed hundreds of phones to domestic violence victims. In June 2000, Phones For Life, Inc. was featured in AARP’s national magazine, and spurred over 10,000 calls from across the country in a month’s time. All callers requested the 9-1-1 cells.
“We give preference to those that have medical disabilities, are victims of elder abuse, or those in precarious situations – but every senior can qualify,” said Dr. L’Archeveque, CEO of Phones for Life, Inc.
Cell phones and accessories are collected from corporate donors and individuals and are then tested, recycled, programmed and distributed to adults 65 and older. Special consideration is given to applicants who are 55 and older with health-related issues.
According to Sally Hurme, AARP Consumer team, “It provides them with support, it reduces their sense of isolation, it gives them a means to reach out and to be much more aware of the fact that they are a valued part of their community.”
Cell phone recipient John Heithman agrees. “I feel these phones give my wife and I freedom, knowing at anytime that someone is available for us just by pressing a couple of buttons.”
To donate your old cell phone or to start a used cell phone drive in your community, log on to www.phones4life.org.
You can also learn more about how to help seniors in your community at www.aarp.org. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole.
We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website, www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.