Thanks to Jacinta for sharing her story and tips on collecting mobile phones and getting an iPad.
Some time ago I saw the offer of recycling old mobile phones in exchange for technology. I thought it was good but that my grandson, Jonathan, couldn’t benefit from it. However, just before the holidays his Speech & Language teacher suggested to his mother that the Grace App would be useful to him. I remembered the IAA offer and decided to start collecting. It turns out that this initiative is open to everyone!
I put it on facebook on July 2nd and then panicked!!!. How many of my friends on facebook would have old mobile phones lying around? I was greatly encouraged the next day when a friend told me she had 9 phones, then, disheartened when others who promised phones didn’t follow through.
A friend then set up an 'Old Mobile Phones' page on Facebook and I joined it. Now I felt I had support! I made up posters, distributed them and this brought in some phones, but the best thing I did was to individually contact younger people and ask them to put it on their FB status.
A friend in our group started collecting for her son & she was so successful she had 165 in about 1 week and loads spare for me. The rest seemed to arrive in large numbers from my younger friends.
I was able to contact Geraldine to arrange Jonathans iPad on August 11th, less than 6 weeks after starting.
Now I am a woman on a mission:- to equip all the children in the ASD unit with ipads!
Wish me luck!!
To join the initiative and get the collection envelopes phone Geraldine on 01 4279790 or email geraldineP@BPI.ie
To date we have sent out 22 iPads, 2 laptops and 2 iTouch's to families who are collecting old mobile phones. Please note there is a relaunch of the iTouch devices and therefore deliveries will be delayed until we can get our hands on the new device on your behalf. Also, this initiative is open to EVERYONE, you don't have to have a special needs child. Everyone is welcome to take part.
For reycycling purposes old laptops are worth 4 mobile phones, Desktop towers pentium 4 or higher only are worth 3 mobile phones. Max of 2 units allowed per collection.
