Cell Phones For Soldiers

I am very proud to work for a company that encourages its employees to be socially responsible and support charitable efforts in their communities. I am especially proud of the very generous group we have in California where I work. Every month, our volunteer committee looks for causes and organizations to help support and since May is Military appreciation month, we've been collecting used electronics for a group called Cell Phones for Soldiers.

Dubbed "Operation Old to New," the idea is simple. Collect used or outdated cell phones and batteries, old charging cords, phone cords and other electronic items and exchange them for calling cards with minutes for our troops to call home.

According to their website, Cell Phones for Soldiers is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing deployed and returning troops cost-free methods to communicate with family while serving in the United States military.  In 2011, 593,535 service men and women have been served thanks to the generosity of people like my co-workers.

I can't think of a better way to honor our active duty military members than to help keep them connected to their loved ones. There are plenty of other ways to be involved even if you don't have old electronics to recycle. For all the details, check out the Cell Phones for Soldier website here.

Thanks to all the members of our military for keeping us safe and sound this Memorial Day.