August 27, 2008
Seniors receive phones / homeless children receive school supplies
More than 1,500 homeless children received new school supplies and 1,500 senior citizens were given emergency cellular telephones under a philanthropic partnership between the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA/Chicago) and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
Beginning in January, 2008, BOMA/Chicago partnered their “Lifelines” cell phone drives with the Sheriff’s “Cell Phones for Seniors Program” in an effort to collect unwanted cell phones. More than 60 BOMA/Chicago buildings collected 5,192 cell phones between January and July through the Lifelines program.
The phones, in turn, were refurbished and given to senior citizens across Cook County in an effort to provide them with emergency 911service in the event of illness or other emergency. In some cases, new models of donated phones were exchanged for cash, which was used to purchase school supplies for homeless children.
Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart (far right) along with officials from BOMA/Chicago announce the results of a cell phone drive held to provide emergency 911 cell phones to senior citizens as well as raise money for school supplies for homeless Chicago Public School children. The cell phone drive was held in partnership with the Building Owners and Mangers Association of Chicago (BOMA/Chicago).
