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Non-profit provides video phones to troops

Contributed by: Villagio Press on 7/21/2008

Colorado based non-profit, the Sharon K Pacheco Foundation, is helping American troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries "phone home" for less than the cost of a pre-paid calling card or international rates, while saving military families hundreds of dollars annually on their current phone service.

The Foundation's program is in partnership with global telecommunications leader, ACN, a company endorsed by multi-billionaire Donald Trump, providing the latest in video phone technology to military families and services members with a broadband, high-speed connection.

Earlier versions of the video phone cost $99 or more, but ACN is now offering the phone for free to customers who subscribe to their monthly service for$29.99 per month, which includes 15 features such as unlimited local and long distance to anyone throughout the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and soon Mexico.

Unlike standard analog phones we all currently use, the greatest feature of the ACN videophone includes a 7" hi-res screen, which allows friends and family members to connect visually in real-time. Since the phone can still be used as a standard phone, many customers are replacing their current landline service with the all-digital video phone, greatly reducing their current phone bills in a slumping economy.

According to the Sharon K Pacheco Foundation, a military spouse, in her third trimester of pregnancy, contacted them about the phone when her husband was deployed for a 15-month tour of duty shortly before she was scheduled to give birth to their first child. Because of daily calls home to his wife, their phone bill neared $2,000 and they were served with a disconnection notice.

The Foundation provided video phones to the spouse and her deployed husband, who were able to talk for free without international rates. Additionally, she took the phone with her to the hospital, where her husband connected via his video phone from Iraq, and the two shared in the birth of their son. According to the spouse, they have "talked every day since," and their phone bill has never exceeded $31.00 per month.

"The video phone gave this soldier the opportunity to witness the birth of his son and talk for as long as he could or wanted, for free," says the Foundation's founder, Leo Pacheco, "it doesn't get better than that!"

While the phone is available to order by anyone interested in saving money on their monthly bills while having the latest and greatest in technology, the Foundation offers a rebate of the shipping, handling, and activation fee for the free phone (a $65 value) to military service members. Anyone interested in purchasing the phone or supporting the program can do so by contacting the Foundation at www.SharonKPachecoFoundation.org or by calling (720) 381-1751.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Villagio Press

Centennial , CO

Villagio Press has posted 9 stories and 0 comments since joining on 7/21/2008. Villagio Press's average story rating is 0.
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