Over 5000 women will be victims of assault by their partner on any given day. Thirty-two percent of those will be assaulted again within the following six months. Domestic abuse is a vicious never-ending cycle that often requires intervention in order to stop it. Although you or I may not be capable of physically stopping the abuse in progress, we can contribute to the battle to stop domestic abuse.

We could donate money or used goods to a shelter. We could spend some time working in a shelter helping those that come there start a new life. We could get the word out about abuse telephone hotlines. All of these are very viable options for helping within certain conditions. There is also a way you can help without it costing you any more money than a little postage, and you would never even have to leave home.

Do you have an old cellular telephone sitting around collecting dust that no longer has service? Are you considering upgrading to a newer model of cellular telephone? Don’t let these old objects sit around collecting dust. Donate them to an organization that will distribute them so abused women can call for help when needed.

If you have not heard of an organization in your area, which collects the used cellular telephones, contact your District Attorney’s office, and ask if they know of an organization locally which collects them. If no local option is available, then try a nationwide organization.

The Donate a Phone program is a partnership between the Wireless Foundation, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Motorola. The program is a national wireless telephone collection drive. Wireless service providers who are members of CTIA donate free emergency airtime so that the victims of domestic violence have a way of getting emergency help. They take the telephones that are donated along with any batteries and chargers and distribute them to police and domestic violence organizations in order to get them in the hands of those that so desperately need them. Some of the telephones donated need to be refurbished. Some are even beyond repair. The ones that can not be refurbished are sold and the money used to support the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as well as other domestic violence programs.

If you would like to donate your old cellular telephone, place the telephone and any batteries and charger that go with it in a plastic bag after deactivating the service on the telephone. Either take it to a local drop off point, or mail it to:

CALL to PROTECT
C/O Motorola
1580 E. Ellsworth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48108

You will be getting rid of a bit of clutter and helping to change someone’s life at the same time. You may even be able to get a tax deduction for your donation. Check with your tax professional for more information on the possible tax effects this donation will have for your income tax return.

So, dig around in those closets and search through the storage boxes until you find those old cellular telephones that you no longer need. Make sure the service is deactivated and donate them. Then you can rest easy that you have taken a step to help win the battle against domestic abuse. If you would like to find out more about the Donate a Phone program, you will find their web site at www.donateaphone.com.