Step-by-step explanation:
As a teenager, whenever you have gone out with friends or traveled away from home, you've likely been asked to call and check in every once in a while. Most of us probably don't think much about doing so. We may even talk on the phone with friends or family members several times a day. But pretend for a moment that you are a soldier in the military. You have been sent overseas for several months, away from all of your family and friends, in order to serve your country. You might imagine that the ability to call home and talk with your loved ones would be something to look forward to. But what if those phone calls left you with a $7,600 phone bill? When 14-year-old Brittany Bergquist and her 12-year-old brother Robbie, of Norwell, Massachusetts, saw a news story about a soldier who found himself with just this problem, they decided to help. Robbie recalls, "We were taken aback and wanted to make sure he didn't have to pay that cell phone bill!" They began by raising money. Brittany and Robbie donated 14 dollars of their own savings and collected seven dollars from friends. A local bank heard about what they were doing and donated $500. But $521 was nowhere near the amount needed to help the soldier pay his bill. So Brittany decided to send donated cell phones to the soldiers. This way, they would have their own phone to use when calling home, which would be less expensive. Brittany and Robbie collected as many old cell phones as they could. But there was a problem. Because of security concerns, the Pentagon would not allow the phones to be sent overseas. Brittany and Robbie were determined, so they came up with another idea. They found a cell phone recycler in Michigan who would pay them five dollars for each phone they sent in to be recycled. Using that money, they could buy pre-paid phone cards to send to the troops.