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| Brittany and Robbie at the port |
Keeping sailors and soldiers in touch with loved ones
posted: 05/22/2006
Through her Cell Phones for Soldiers program, Butterfly Award finalist Brittany Bergquist continues to help men and women in the armed services keep in contact with their families. Founded two years ago by Brittany and her teenaged brother, Robbie, the organization takes old cell phones and turns them into cash to buy pre-paid phone cards for service members. Early in May, Brittany and Robbie got to see first hand how their work makes a difference to the sailors onboard the USS Cape Saint George. The captain, Jim Yohe, invited the two teens on board as the ship made its final turn for port. The teens had helped link families at the start of deployment by providing pre-paid phone cards for each sailor through Cell Phones for Soldiers. Brittany and Robbie’s efforts had a tremendous impact. For example, Petty Officer Jason Schmidt used his card to keep tabs on his two-year-old daughter and new baby son.
Spending the final days of the cruise onboard ship, Brittany and Robbie got a glimpse of what a deployment really means for the crew and their families. It was also the teens’ first time away from their parents: "We really missed our parents, and we were just out for three days,” Brittany says. The two noted that not seeing any land for three days added to their sense of loneliness, giving them a sense of what the sailors experience every day they serve away from friends, family, and loved ones.
At the end of the cruise, Brittany and Robbie attended the ceremonies in which the sailors reunited with their loved ones, which proved a moving and joyous event. Both teens came away from the experience even more committed to helping America’s men and women in the service stay in close contact with their families while serving overseas. Related Article: http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?s=4861701
How You Can Help Brittany Bergquist
To learn more about Brittany Bergquist and her cause, and how you can make a difference, please visit: www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com
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