At the end of May, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation became an official drop-off point for Cell Phones for Soldiers. In two and one-half months, more than 165 phones have already been donated by the south-central Oklahoma community.

Each donated phone will be sent to Cell Phones for Soldiers, a nonprofit organization, which recycles donated cell phones and uses the proceeds to purchase calling cards for soldiers in Iraq. Each cell phone is worth one hour of international talk time for soldiers serving overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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.

"There has been an amazing outpouring of support," said Robert Wells, Ph.D., a livestock consultant with the Noble Foundation, who organized the drop-off site. "Each of these calling cards is a lifeline between the soldiers and their families. Communication is essential for our soldiers."

Wells knows firsthand 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.

This summer, Danielle Wells received 15 days of leave, so she returned to Oklahoma. During her 20-hour return trip to the Middle East, Wells' group stopped in Europe to refuel. She placed a quick call to her husband. Their 11-minute conversation cost the couple almost $75.

"It was worth every penny to know she had made it that far safely. I would have paid anything," Robert Wells said. "But transcontinental communication comes at a high price for those in the military."

Some soldiers do not have the opportunity to call home because international calling cards cost up to $2 per minute, causing soldiers to go months or even a year without communication. To help combat this problem, Cell Phones for Soldiers has raised almost $1 million in donations and distributed more than 500,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers in Iraq since its inception in 2004.

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 batteries. 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.

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Photo caption:

Robert Williams, Ph.D., a livestock consultant with the Noble Foundation, packing up more than 165 cell phones to send to Cell Phones for Soldiers. Each of the phones is worth one hour of international talk time for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.