Organizing a Cell Phone Collection Drive

As a volunteer, one of the most valuable things you can do for us is to organize a collection drive at a local institution or company. Go to our web site, www.securethecall.org/ and hit the large button in the four button cluster labeled “Host a Cell Phone Drive”. This page discusses all the elements of the program. Read all this carefully.

Once you are familiar with the particulars of the program, you are ready to find a sponsor. A sponsor is the person/organization that is willing to make the $60 enabling donation and to hold the drive at their place of business. Any business with 100 employees or more can sponsor a quality drive. Law firms, insurance companies, utilities, health clubs, churches—all these are good candidates to approach for holding drives. Every office building’s management (leasing agent or property manager) is also a great prospect. The key is to find a group that is either civic minded, environmentally conscious, or both!

Once you have lined up sponsors, you will need to get them registered. It is up to you if you want to continue your involvement with the drive after the registration is complete.

Return to our web site and enter the “Host a Drive” page. Now move your cursor over the blue letters reading “Click here for registration and to make your donation”. This will bring up the registration form for drives. Once you have found a suitable organization or company to host your drive, fill out this form with them. If they want to write you a check right there, right click the button on the bottom right that will allow you to download and print a .pdf file of the registration. Fill that out with them and attach it to their check, help them follow the mailing instructions.

In either case, be certain to let us know of your involvement with the registration. If you have downloaded the hard copy, after filling in your sponsor’s name on the top line, place a slash (/) then your name, followed by a comma and the word VOLUNTEER. If you fill in the online registration, use the ADDITIONAL INFORMATION box to enter your name and volunteer status. This is particularly important if you are a student wanting confirmation of volunteer hours.

You can have the barrel sent to your sponsoring organization, or to yourself. If you want it sent to you, in the e-mail registration indicate that under ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, in the hard copy surface mail form put a slash after the Company/Institution name and write “barrel to volunteer”. In either case, monitor the progress of the drive at the Company/Institution and see that the barrel is sent back in the original box at the end of the drive. If you have questions, call the Volunteer Coordinator.

Unless you are connected to a large company or institution, the best places for drives will be any very large local company (>100 employees), an independent cell-phone store, or any large store that gets the same customers back again and again in the short run. Your church might be a good place as well, if you can get them to publicize the drive effectively to the membership. Talk over drive opportunities with friends and family and you may come up with several possible locations within your local community.

Nationally, Secure the Call averages about 100 drives/month, but we need to push that number way up! Thanks!