Sheriff collects old cellphones to give to seniors
The county gets several requests a week from seniors who don't have phones of any kind. But any old cellphone can connect to 911, even if it doesn't have an active calling plan.
Major kudos to Montgomery County Sheriff Eileen Whalon Behr, who came up with a great idea that could save lives. And it's free!
The sheriff is collecting old, unused cellphones to distribute to senior citizens who don't have one.
The Sheriff's Department says it fields several requests a week from seniors who don't have phones of any kind, so they can't call for help in the event of illness, crime, elder abuse, or residential hazards. But any cellphone can connect to 911, even if it doesn't have an active calling plan.
That dusty old Nokia in your closet? Yep, as long as it's charged and you're not way out in the boonies, it can be used in an emergency.
The sheriff began collecting phones from county workers and attorneys who walk through the courthouse regularly. But there's still a waiting list of seniors, so she's expanding the operation with five drop-off sites open to the general public.
They are in the lobbies or security-desk areas of the county courthouse, One Montgomery Plaza, the Human Services Center and Youth Center (all in Norristown), and at the Willow Grove Annex on Old York Road.
I bet they'll get a flood of donations, and then maybe Montco can spread the largesse to other counties, where the need may be even greater.