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Talk about a call to action.
When facilities manager Senora B. Gay saw a poster for The Wireless Foundation's Call to Protect drive at a nearby store, she knew that the program would be a perfect fit for the New York chapter of Oracle Volunteers, with which she has long participated.
Call to Protect is a non-profit program that collects and refurbishes old cell phones and other wireless equipment to support domestic violence victims. Gay says she knew that her coworkers would have plenty to donate. "They turn cell phones around like crazy here," she says. "Everybody here wants the latest and the greatest."
Gay then worked to have Call to Protect registered for Oracle Volunteer's Season of Sharing. Since the New York chapter began its drive began in December, Gay has collected over 300 pieces of equipment, including three old phones she had in her own office. Some of the donations are pretty old, she says. "I've got phones here that it's like 'Oh my gosh, this is like the first cell phone'," she laughs.
The age and condition of the phones, PDAs, chargers, and other donations do not matter. Equipment donated to Call to Protect is often refurbished and sold. So far, The Wireless Foundation has granted over $3 million dollars to domestic violence organizations across the nation. Additionally, funds are used to buy working phones and airtime for domestic violence shelters victims. Other phones are refurbished and donated to individual domestic violence victims so they can use them in emergency situations.
Of course, the program also helps the environment: Call to Protect has kept over 200 tons of electronics out of the landfill. When Gay explained the program to Michelle Myer, vice president of North America Real Estate and Facilities, back in September, Myer says she realized that, "This fits in with our recycling or 'green' initiatives." Several Northeast offices are already participating, Myer says, and she is exploring how to get other field offices started in their own cell phone collections.
Employee interest—like Gay's efforts—is the driving force behind Oracle's corporate volunteer program, says Rosalee Gann, Oracle Director of Global Corporate Citizenship "Oracle Volunteers creates opportunities for Oracle employees to actively address social needs and make a measurable, positive impact in the community," says Gann. "We applaud Senora Gay for her effort, and hope it encourages more employees seek ways to share their time and talents with those in need. We look forward to seeing the Call to Protect program succeed at Oracle offices nationwide."
In the meantime, Gay continues to collect equipment in her Tarrytown office. She says what started out as a seasonal drive has become an ongoing operation. "As people get new cells, they're just dropping they're old cells off," she says. "It's just becoming a habit."
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