Rep. Carroll Asks for Cell Phone Donations to Support Troops

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. – To help deployed service members call home for the holidays, state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Buffalo Grove, is asking residents for donations of old or unused cell phones. Donations will go to Cell Phones for Soldiers, an organization that lets active duty military personnel call home with no charge.

“It used to be common for active duty service members to come home with thousands of dollars in phone bills,” Carroll said. “Cell Phones for Soldiers makes it possible for them to stay in touch with loved ones for free.”

Cell Phones for Soldiers has provided over 300 million hours of free talk time to active duty members of the armed forces since its creation in 2004. The charity provides old cell phones to members of the US military, and provides donated minutes to allow them to call home without incurring expensive long-distance phone bills.

“Most people these days will switch their cell phone every few years,” Carroll continued. “If you have unused phones lying around, especially old flip phones, this is a way to put them to good use. We want to help Cell Phones for Soldiers connect as many of the troops with their families as possible before the holidays.”

Residents interested in making a donation should bring their phones to Carroll’s constituent service office at 820 S. Buffalo Grove Rd. in Buffalo Grove. For more information, please call Carroll’s office at 847-229-5499, or visit cellphonesforsoldiers.com.