Harrison College earlier this month hosted an eRecycle event at its Indianapolis-area campuses and administration building to collect old and unused electronics. The week-long initiative resulted in more than 9,000 pounds of recycled electronics, including used cellphones.
About two hundred of those phones are being given to The Julian Center, an Indianapolis organization that provides support to more than 6,500 victims of abuse and assault every year.
Julian Center President and CEO Catherine O’Connor says the phones will be given to domestic violence victims who may not have access to a phone of their own.
"One of the core components of the crime of domestic violence is isolating a victim from supports, from resources, from money, from the things that can help the victim be independent," O'Connor says. "So we can get, sometimes, these phones to them and help them stay safe.”
O’Connor says anyone suffering from an abusive domestic situation is encouraged to contact the Julian Center to learn more about their services. Anyone interested in donating cellphones to the Julian Center can contact them as well.