By Stephanie Grinnell
Staff Writer
   

Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA) has partnered with Scarborough High School’s Environmental Club of Scarborough (ECOS) to collect cell phones for area senior citizens who can use them to dial 911 in case of an emergency.
    Elder Advocate Mary Hadlock said the project began in the fall when she was an intern with SMAA.  She contacted Scarborough High School looking for students to assist with the collection of cell phones and found the ECOS club already collected used cell phones to recycle. The students agreed to donate the phones they collected with the understanding the phones will be recycled if they are not used by the seniors, Hadlock said.
    Hadlock said the phones come with a wall charger and an extra battery. She and a student assistant developed illustrated directions for how the to use the phones. The illustrations apply to all models of phones, she said.
    A benefit to having an emergency cell phone is that they still work when there is no electricity supply, unlike a Lifeline-type of device, which needs electricity to work, Hadlock said. She said seniors are encouraged to have more than one emergency notification device.
    “This in no way, shape or form takes the place of emergency response systems,” she said.
    Seniors with the emergency phones can only use them to dial 911. The phones can’t receive or place other calls. To assure the seniors are comfortable with cell phone operation, they are provided with another number to call to make sure their call goes through properly, Hadlock said.
    Emily Sherman, ECOS teacher, said the students began collecting cell phones years ago when it seemed students were upgrading their phones even when the current ones were functioning properly. She said the increase in e-waste in landfills is excessive and the students want to lessen environmental impact anywhere they can. The club also collects batteries from the community and pays for them to be recycled with money earned from bottle and can returns, Sherman said.
    The ECOS club donated more than 200 phones to the program, mostly from students, Sherman said. She said next year, the club plans to focus more on education about recycling alongside with the phone and battery collections.
    “These phones can be put right back into use,” Sherman said. “For emergency reasons, plenty of the phones are reusable.”
    More than 30 students are active members of the club, which has a roster of nearly 80.
    “They are a dedicated crew,” Sherman said.
    She said the students decide what recycling programs they will participate in and what causes they will support. Sherman said the timing of Hadlock’s proposal worked out well because the students had not sent the phones collected this year to be recycled.
    Hadlock said it was her goal to bring generations together with the program.
    Hadlock also worked with Jobs for Maine Graduates, Portland High School and a collaborative education class in Gray-New Gloucester to collect cell phones for the program.
    Once the phones are collected, Hadlock said she sends the phones to 911 Cell Phone Bank, where the phones are refurbished. She said the program is like a bank, she deposits a number of phones and is allowed to withdraw the same number of phones by ordering them through the company’s Web site.
    All cell phones are also equipped with global positioning system (GPS) technology, which allows Maine State Police to narrow down a caller’s location via latitude and longitude, she said.
    Hadlock said SMAA receives money from 911 Cell Phone Bank for each phone donated based on its age and needs. The money is treated as a donation to SMAA and ranges from 50 cents to $20 per phone, Hadlock said.
    There are no requirements for seniors to be eligible for the free phones. Hadlock said the seniors are asked to pick up the phones when it is possible.
    For seniors not served by SMAA, Hadlock said they will be referred to the appropriate agency in their area. She said there are cell phone programs in South Portland and York County in addition to SMAA.
    To date, more than 20 phones have already been distributed and a waiting list started in the fall to receive them, Hadlock said.
    “We are hoping it will be an ongoing community service project for the students,” she said.
    For more information about the senior emergency cell phone project, contact SMAA at 396-6500 and ask to speak with an elder advocate.