Join T-Mobile in #GivingTWOgether

This post is sponsored by T-Mobile on behalf of Momtrends Media. All opinions expressed are my own.

It’s hard to walk by bell ringers during the holidays when you don’t have anything extra to give. I’ve been there, I’m pretty sure we all have at some point. I can’t count how many times I’ve wanted to help others, not just during the holidays, but wasn’t able to because money was so tight I didn’t think we were going to make it. I can’t tell you how many years I’ve been heartbroken thinking of all the people who had even less than we did, and feeling there was nothing I could do for them. It’s a sinking feeling, right in the pit of my stomach, and it screams “Find a Way!”. This year I learned of a way to help others that didn’t require money. In fact, it helped me declutter and give back and it’s something anyone with old cell phones and tablets can do too.

The EPA estimates that more than 135 million cell phones reach the landfill each year. Most people have a couple old cell phones and/or tablets lying around collecting dust, just waiting to be tossed out. How about you? Before you toss your old cell phone let me tell you about T-Mobile’s #GivingTWOgether Phone Drive.

#GivingTWOgether: How it Works

From now until December 31st you can recycle your old phones and tablets at your local T-Mobile store. When you do, T-Mobile will DOUBLE your impact, matching the value of the recycled devices. 100% of that is donated to Feeding America and Team Rubicon, who use funds to give meals to people in need or to buy critical equipment for a disaster relief strike team member.

• Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States with a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 partner food pantries and meal programs that collectively provide food to more than 46 million people across the country.
• Team Rubicon offers veterans a chance to continue their service by uniting their skills and experience with first responders, medical professionals, and technology solutions to rapidly deploy emergency response teams to areas affected by natural disasters.

Don’t worry if your phone is old or broken, any and all phones and tablets are eligible and there’s no limit to how many you can recycle. You don’t even need to be a T-Mobile customer (but why aren’t you?!) to take part, just stop in at a participating store and drop off your cell or tablet.

T-Mobile is in the spirit of giving

In addition to doubling your impact, T-Mobile is also pledging a minimum matching donation of $1,000,000 to be split evenly between the two charities. In case you’re wondering, that’s enough to buy at least 5,000,000 meals for hungry families AND deploy 5,000 veterans to serve communities affected by disasters.

I finally took the leap and gathered up our old cell phones and some broken tablets. I was kind of shocked how long I had been hoarding these phones - I’m pretty sure there was an original Nokia in there and 2 Blackberries. This was such a great chance to show the younger generation how they can make a positive impact, and that there are companies like T-Mobile who are about more than just profit margins. I want my kids to know and appreciate the feeling that comes with giving, all year long, but especially during the holidays. I want them to feel the true meaning of Christmas, and I want them to pass that on to their families.

You may have caught wind of the Un-Carrier’s great #GivingTuesday campaign, where they put employees, customers, and fans in charge of giving away {up to} $2M to charity. They also used their platform as the official wireless MLB sponsor to raise awareness and money for hurricane recovery with the #HR4HR (Home Runs for Hurricane Recovery) campaign.

You can learn more about the T-Mobile #GivingTWOgether Phone Drive and other ways to give by visiting http://www.t-mobile.com/ways-to-give. Be sure to share this with your friends and family, as this is the season of giving, and this is something anyone can do.