Cells for Cells

Recycle Cell Phones to Help Families Battling Cancer

Ferrellgas’ Phone Donation to Help Families Battling Cancer

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As part of an ongoing partnership with Cells for Cells, Ferrellgas hosted
a cell phone collection drive, donating nearly 1000 cell phones to the recycling program

Shawnee, KS (CellsforCells.com) September 17, 2008– Ferrellgas, one of the nation’s largest propane distributors, donated nearly 1000 cell phones to Cells for Cells, the Shawnee, Kansas-based cell phone recycling program that benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Stirring enthusiasm for the project with a company-wide competition, Ferrellgas was able to inspire its employees and local communities to get involved in the fight against cancer.

Jim Saladin, Manager of Corporate Communications for Ferrellgas, organized the company-wide East-versus-West competition. Vice President of the Ferrellgas’ East Division Micah Redman and West Division Vice President Randy Schott each enlisted the participation of Ferrellgas employees in their respective areas, who in turn involved their customers and communities. In one notable instance, the Iowa City Cubs baseball team even held a special “free ticket night” for those who brought a cell phone to drop off at the game.

“Ferrellgas united the community,” Jason Clements, co-founder of Cells for Cells says. “Many families that battle leukemia, lymphoma, myleloma are unable to pay all their medical bills, and the efforts like Ferrellgas’ can help to significantly ease that burden.”

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society provides support, resources, and financial relief to families in need through their Patient Financial Aid Programs. The money that Cells for Cells raises by recycling cell phones is given to those Financial Aid Programs. It is through the generosity of corporate partners like Ferrellgas that community organizations such as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society owe their success.

Founded in 1939, Ferrellgas is the is one of the largest propane retailers in the United States, including the largest provider of propane by branded tank exchange.

Established in 2007, Cells for Cells raises money through cell phone recycling to provide financial relief to families battling cancer through their partnership with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

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For interviews or information concerning the work Cells for Cells is doing to better the lives of families battling cancers, please contact Jason Clements at jclements (at) cellsforcells (dot) com.

Cells for Cells: Episode 3 FedEx shipping information

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Requesting a free FedEx shipping label is easy:

1. send an email to label (at) cellsforcells (dot) com
2. include your mailing address in your email
3. please include at least 10 20 cell phones to recycle
* If you dont’ have 10 20 phones to donate, Buddy Up with another Cells for Cells supporter
* Combine your phones to help decrease shipping costs

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Welcome to the Philadelphia Chapter and the Orange County/Inland Empire Chapter.

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Need more info about launching Cells for Cells in your chapter at your office? Contact Jason at jclements (at) cellsforcells (dot) com.

Cells for Cells partners with Innovative Solutions of Kansas City

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I recently had the pleasure to meet with Gordon Ho of Innovative Solutions Consulting Group – ISCG. I’ve known of Gordon in the wireless space in Kansas City for about 8 years; but I never sat down with him. I know that he is an innovator (see: his company name) and a forward-thinking entrepreneur. So I finally called him to discuss business, the wireless industry and a strategic relationship between ISCG and Cells for Cells.

ICSG is a Nextel Sprint partner that offers new service, upgrades, and repair services. The BIG DIFFERENTIATOR with ISCG is their knowledge of SERVING THE CUSTOMER. In Kansas City, they have one of the few mobile/on-site services, where they come out to your office to service your cell phones. I would call that innovative!

Gordon and I spoke further about about working together to get more exposure for Cells for Cells and ICSG.

Here’s the quick-hit Q & A from Gordon Ho of ISCG:

Jason: Why is ISCG part of Cells for Cells?

Gordon: It’s a great cause for one. Secondly it’s important to our environment to recycle old devices and parts safely.

Jason: Was it an easy decision or Why was it an easy decision to participate?

Gordon: Very easy! Both ISCG and Cells for Cells share the same goals. That’s what makes participating an easy decision.

Jason: Do you have a one sentence statement of why customers/businesses should do business with ISCG?

Gordon: ISCG-How business get’s done! It’s pretty simple, but that how our clients rely on us. We handle their wireless and we simply get business done.

Jason: Do you have any quick recycling tips/cell phone tips for customers?

Gordon: Batteries have born on dates on the battery. If nearing the expiration date we can swap out that battery for a fresh battery with a newer date and we can recycle the old battery.

Jason: Any upcoming events that we can promote for you?

Gordon: We are sponsoring a tent at Country in the Woods on Sunday, June 22 from 4pm to 10 pm. Lonestar headlines the event at Corporate Woods in Overland Park, Kansas.

Innovative does have a wireless “how-to” blog; but it looks like the last update was in 2007. I wish they would update that because it has some really great tips. I am going to copy one of their tips right here because it is so useful for many Cells for Cells partners.

From Innovative Solutions Blog “How To Erase all contact information on a Blackberry.”

>Options>Security>General Settings>Wipe Handheld Sets the phone back to factory defaults but some information may still remain. To completely wipe the handheld, here are a couple tips.

1) Assign a password to the device and then input the password wrong 10 times !
* To assign a password to a BB device: Go to home screen and select “Options” (this is an icon that looks like a wrench). Select “Security” from the Options list. Go to the line item that says Password. Use the trackwheel to enable the password. When you save the settings, the device will ask you to enter a new password. Assign a alphanumeric password to the device.
* Input the password wrong 10 times: Power cycle the device (power if off and then back on). The device will ask you for your password. Input a wrong password 10 times. The device will give you a few warning messages. After the 10th attempt, the device will erase all user data and do a power cycle.

1) Erase all data using the “desktop manager” software
* Launch the Blackberry “desktop manager” software utility on your PC and make sure that it is connected to the BB device in the cradle.
* Launch “Backup and Restore” utility from the desktop manager menu.
* Click on the button that says “Advanced..”.
* The application will read all the data from the device, organize them, and then display on the screen (on the right column). Select all the data (email, calendar, phone logs, browser bookmarks, etc.) that you want to erase. You can select multiple entries by holding on to the CTRL button while you select them. Click on the button labeled “Clear” to erase all the data from the device.

Thank you, Gordon for your time and partnership.

If you are interested in learning more about Innovative Solutions and their Innovative customer service, you can contact Gordon directly at gho (at) isconline (dot) com or call him directly at (913) – 208 – 1025.

Battle Cancer with a Cell Phone? Part 1

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(Photo: 1000 Mobiles by Gaetan Lee)

The answer is YES! I’ll explain in a moment.

There are many cell phone recycling programs. But, do you ever wonder what happens to your phone after you recycle it? I don’t want you to think in the sense of “does it really get recycled or does it end up in a landfill in China instead of the landfill in Wichita, Kansas?” But I do want you to think in the sense of what happens with the “recycling” MONEY that the “Cell Phone Recycling Program” raises for it’s charity?

Ponder that for a moment. . .(Really, think about it for a minute.)

Well, for those of you that donate your old cell phones to Cells for Cells YOU are battling cancer. For absolutely for REAL! Real money is going to real people that REALLY need help. SO the answer is yes! WE are battling cancer by recycling cell phones.

Cells for Cells, in our second year, is now approaching $15,000.00 raised for families battling cancer! THANK YOU to all of our partners and everyone that has ever donated to Cells for Cells! YOU!, you that donated phones, are directly helping moms and dads and brothers and sisters and husbands and wives – real people…

…real people like James and Sharon Bratcher from Joplin, Missouri. They have an encouraging story of how The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society delivered financial assistance in a big way to help overcome a desperate financial situation. James has some very valuable tips for families and I will be interviewing James in Battle Cancer with a Cell Phone? Part 2.

Many companies donate their cell phones without fully understanding what happens afterwards – do they follow the money? Do YOU follow the money? How can you even be sure that your Cell Phone Recycling Program is making a donation to their charity? What does the phrase “100 percent of NET PROCEEDS” mean? Is it an accounting trick or is it a real way to raise money? I’ll uncover that in Battle Cancer with a Cell Phone? Part 3.

Do you want to battle cancer? Do you want to be part of a program that helps real people. YES! It really is as simple as getting your fellow employees together and boxing up your old cell phones and recycling them with Cells for Cells.

And finally, here is the artwork to our new campaign. I would love to hear your comments and ideas. You can email me directly at jason dot cellsforcells (at) gmail dot com.

Read this doc on Scribd: Battle Cancer with a Cell Phone?