People can donate phones in various court locations.
SPRINGFIELD – The Hampden District Attorney’s Office is collecting cell phones so it can earn money to benefit local victims of domestic violence.
The office has partnered with Shelter Alliance, the largest grassroots cell phone recycler in the country.
Under the district attorney’s program, people are asked to donate their cell phones to various court locations from now until Feb. 28. No money will paid to phone donors.
The district attorney’s office, through Shelter Alliance, earns up to $30 per cell phone and up to $100 per smartphone, regardless of age or condition.
Some of the money earned from the collection will be used to purchase phones for victims of domestic violence who are still at risk, allowing them to contact authorities in an emergency.
The rest of the money earned will go to local domestic violence shelters to use for food and other necessities.
“Donating a used, unwanted cell phone allows community members to give to an important cause without reaching into their wallets,” Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said. “With the hundreds of used cell phones sitting idly in our community, the fundraising potential is almost limitless.”
In addition to public and district attorney employee donations, local law enforcement officials have been invited to donate any abandoned cell phones which had been seized in closed cases.
People are asked to bring their used, deactivated, unwanted cell phones and batteries to these locations during business hours.
In Springfield, the District Attorney’s Office, Hall of Justice, 50 State Street, 3rd floor; or Springfield Juvenile Court, 80 State Street.
Phones can also be dropped off at: Chicopee District Court, 30 Church Street, Chicopee; Holyoke District Court, 20 Court Plaza, Holyoke; Westfield District Court, 224 Elm Street, Westfield; or Palmer District Court, 34 Sykes Street, Palmer.
Shelter Alliance performs the data erasing. Phones which can be re-used have all data erased during the recycling procedure.
Phones that can’t be reused because of condition are shredded for use of the phones materials. Phone memory components are destroyed in this process.
Also, before donation each donor can manually reset or erase memory by following their specific manufacturer’s instructions.