[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1078 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1078

Commending the nonprofit organization Cell Phones for Soldiers for its 
  resolute and continuing service to members of the Armed Forces and 
                            their families.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 5, 2010

 Mr. Young of Alaska (for himself, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. 
Boozman, and Mr. McHenry) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Commending the nonprofit organization Cell Phones for Soldiers for its 
  resolute and continuing service to members of the Armed Forces and 
                            their families.

Whereas the nonprofit organization Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded in 
        Norwell, Massachusetts, in 2004 by teenagers Robbie and Brittany 
        Bergquist, who started with only $21 of their own money;
Whereas Robbie and Brittany Bergquist started Cell Phones for Soldiers after 
        hearing the story of a soldier named Brian Fletcher, who had accrued a 
        $7,624 cell phone bill as a result of calling his family while he was 
        deployed overseas in the Armed Forces;
Whereas more than 150,000 members of the Armed Forces are serving overseas away 
        from their families and friends;
Whereas Cell Phones for Soldiers has approximately 3,000 volunteers nationwide 
        helping to run collection drives for donated cell phones;
Whereas AT&T Mobility has offered its 2,000 stores in 1,100 cities as collection 
        points for Cell Phones for Soldiers;
Whereas former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly has signed on as a 
        spokesperson for Cell Phones for Soldiers;
Whereas ReCellular, Inc., pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each donated phone;
Whereas in 2008, ReCellular processed over 2,000,000 phones for Cell Phones for 
        Soldiers;
Whereas the average phone can provide a 60 minute calling card for international 
        use;
Whereas Cell Phones for Soldiers has raised more than $2,000,000 and has 
        provided more than 500,000 one-hour calling cards, providing members of 
        the Armed Forces over 30,000,000 minutes of precious time spent talking 
        with loved ones;
Whereas Cell Phones for Soldiers has provided 60,000,000 minutes of free calling 
        cards thanks to a national network of individual and corporate 
        supporters donating phones and money;
Whereas over the next few years, Cell Phones for Soldiers aspires to expand to 
        include video service, allowing members of the Armed Forces to both hear 
        and see their loved ones; and
Whereas there are more than 130 million phones retired every year in the United 
        States, and if just 2 percent of these phones were donated, every member 
        of the Armed Forces could receive a phone as an expression of gratitude 
        from the American people: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commends Brittany and Robbie Bergquist, their family, 
        and the thousands of volunteers of Cell Phones for Soldiers 
        who, phone-by-phone, dollar-by-dollar, and minute-by-minute, 
        help members of the Armed Forces keep in touch with their 
        families;
            (2) pledges continuing support for members of the Armed 
        Forces to maintain contact with their families and loved ones 
        while serving in harm's way; and
            (3) expresses its appreciation for Cell Phones for Soldiers 
        and other nonprofit entities that work selflessly to provide an 
        affordable means for the members of the Armed Forces to 
        maintain contact with their families and loved ones while 
        serving the United States overseas.
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