The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation became an official drop-off point for Cell Phones for Soldiers this week.

A nonprofit organization, Cell Phones for Soldiers recycles donated cell phones and uses the proceeds to purchase calling cards for soldiers in Iraq. Each donated phone is worth one hour of international talk time.

Communication between soldiers in Iraq and their families is difficult. While some soldiers attempt to call home using cell phones (resulting in astronomical phone bills) and others try to use the sporadic Internet service, the best way for troops to contact home is through international calling cards.

Robert Wells, Ph.D., a livestock consultant with the Noble Foundation's Agricultural Division, knows firsthand about the importance of communicating with a loved one overseas. Wells' wife, Danielle, currently serves in Iraq with the 1120th Ordinance Company out of Ada, an attachment of the 45th Infantry Combat Division.

During her initial journey to the Middle East, Wells quickly learned about the difficulties and expense of transcontinental communication. The arduous, 17-hour journey to the Middle East included a layover in Germany where the couple spoke by phone. The total for the eight-minute call: $54.95.

"It was worth every penny to know she had made it that far safely. I would have paid anything to know she was OK," he said. "But I realized then that communication came at a high price for those in the military."

For the couple, their daily, 20-minute phone conversation, which usually takes place between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., provides Wells a reprieve from worry. Some soldiers, however, do not have the opportunity to call home because international calling cards cost up to $2 per minute.

"Danielle has told me some heartbreaking stories about soldiers who cannot afford to call home," Wells said. "I could not imagine going without hearing from Danielle for a year."

Since its inception in 2004, Cell Phones for Soldiers has raised almost $1 million in donations and distributed more than 500,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers in Iraq. The organization hopes to raise more than $9 million in the next five years to fund new programs, such as providing video phones and prepaid service to allow soldiers abroad to see their families on a regular basis.

"Americans will replace an estimated 130 million cell phones this year with the majority of phones either discarded or stuffed in a drawer," says Mike Newman, vice president of ReCellular, the company that provides the cell phone recycling. "Most people don't realize that the small sacrifice of donating their unwanted phones can have a tremendous benefit."

For individuals who want to donate a used cell phone, the Noble Foundation drop box is located in the Agricultural Division's lobby. Cell phones may be donated with or without their battery. The charger may be donated as well.

For more information, e-mail Robert Wells at rswells@noble.org or visit the Cell Phones for Soldiers Web site at www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.

"That one phone call a day may just be a few minutes, but it means everything," Wells said. "You cherish each conversation."

Cell Phones for Soldiers is a nonprofit organization created by Brittany and Robbie Bergquist of Norwell, Mass. After reading a story about a soldier who ran up a huge phone bill calling home from Iraq, these two teenagers decided to help out. They collect cash donations and old cell phones. The cell phones are recycled for cash, and the proceeds are used to buy prepaid calling cards for soldiers serving in the Middle East.