A new initiative in Durham is trying to provide an essential resource to victims of violent crime and it might even help declutter your home.
If you have an old cellphone or two laying around collecting dust, you can bring it to the Manufacturing and Technology Centre Factory Outlet in Whitby.
It’s all part of an initiative between Durham Regional Police Service and victim services Durham Region. Victim services provides emergency resources, support and funding to victims of violent crime and one of those resources is the use of an emergency cellphone.
“When you’re in a trafficking situation or when you’re in an abusive situation, often cellphones are under the control of the person that’s abusing, so they’re unable to call 911 if needed or unable to access their personal support. So when a cellphone is donated, it enables somebody to be able to call for help when they need it,” said Kayla Yama with Victim Services Durham Region.
“We are a national return centre for various OEM’s, so part of our core of business is doing refurbishing and recertifying products. So, it was a natural extension to offer the community to drop in used working cellphones that we could then donate for the victim centre,” said Raj Singhal, MTC Senior Vice President.
MTC factory outlet answered the call by donating 40 refurbished cellphones to the initiative. It has also put up a drop box at 220 Water Street in Whitby where you can drop off cellphones.
Victim services hopes to get between 10 and 15 phones a month to cover the growing need.