Westminster Police Department and Adams County Triad want to thank the community for the nearly 700 cell phones donated last year to benefit senior safety programs and provide emergency cell phones to those in need. The Westminster Police Department is in partnership with The 911 Cell Phone Bank to collect used cell phones. In return, they build a bank of free emergency cell phones and funds for community victims of abuse and seniors in need.
For more information on how to get involved, contact
Vaughn Pepper at 303-430-2400, Ext. 4415.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to drop off used cell phones at the following locations:
-- Federal Heights - Senior Hub, 2360 W. 90 th Ave.,
-- Thornton - Thornton Senior Citizen Center, 9471 Dorothy Blvd.,
-- Westminster - Westminster Police Department, 9110 Yates St.,
-- Westminster - Mature Adult Center (MAC), 3295 W. 72 nd Ave.
With spring time greening up landscapes, now is the time to think about cleaning up the environment by donating those old cell phones. Cell phones contain hazardous materials that don't belong in a landfill, so don't throw them in the garbage. While we have come a long way in protecting the environment and this planet, cell phone recycling has only in recent years become a concern. Cell phones contain large amounts of hazardous substances that can pollute the air when burned and leach into our soil and water when hidden in landfills.
Those old cell phones can provide needed funds as well as emergency communication for seniors in need and victims. According to industry statistics based on population, Adams County retires more than 14,100 cell phones every month.
"Donating cell phones shows civic responsibility and our community has done a good job of donating cell phones in the past," said Triad President Vaughn Pepper. "We want to make more people aware that those useless old cell phones tucked away in a drawer can play a big part in making a victim or senior citizen feel safe and enabling someone in trouble to get the help they need," added Pepper.
About the 911 Cell Phone Bank
The 911 Cell Phone Bank is an initiative of The RMS Foundation, a 501C3 public charity. It was created to provide an ongoing and readily available source of 911 cell phones and funds to meet unexpected and urgent needs of participating law enforcement and affiliated victim services agencies. Since its inception, the 911 Cell Phone Bank has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars and nearly 50,000 cell phones for victim services organizations around the country. It is a nationwide program designed to maximize community cell phone donations. To learn more, visit
www.911CellPhoneBank.org.
Stephanie Topkoff works for the Westminster Police Department.