This Thanksgiving, Patriot Mobile was honored to help U.S. Navy cadets—far from home and without access to personal phones—connect with their families. In partnership with Cell Phones For Soldiers, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing cost-free communication services to active-duty military members and veterans, Patriot Mobile provided free cell phones and wireless service to 30 cadets spending the holiday away from home.
The young sailors, currently stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base, are not permitted to keep personal phones during training. But as they gathered for a traditional Thanksgiving meal at American Legion Post 888, they were given something even more meaningful: the chance to hear the voices of their loved ones.
Cell Phones For Soldiers was founded more than 20 years ago by siblings Robbie and Brittany Bergquist, who were just 12 and 13 when they learned of a soldier returning from Iraq with an $8,000 phone bill. Moved by the idea that a man serving his country could not afford to call home, they began collecting small donations—starting with just $21—and launched what is now a nationwide nonprofit providing millions of minutes of free talk time to deployed service members.
Since then, the organization has:
- Assisted 7,500+ service members, veterans, and families with emergency funding
- Responsibly recycled 25 million cell phones and tablets
- Provided 450 million “Minutes That Matter” to deployed troops worldwide
This holiday’s effort was an extension of their mission.
“Cell Phones for Soldiers is honored to help these recruits hear the voices of their families this Thanksgiving, made possible by generous phone donations from the American public,” said Rob Bergquist, founder of Cell Phones For Soldiers. “We are grateful to Patriot Mobile for stepping up without hesitation to support this effort.”
For many cadets, the phones provided their first opportunity in several months to speak directly with their families. The impact was immediate and heartfelt.
“The phone worked out very well for the sailors. They were all so appreciative of the opportunity to speak to home. Thank you again for all you did for these young men and women!” shared one of the event organizers.
Patriot Mobile Founder and CEO Glenn Story emphasized the company’s deep commitment to supporting America’s military members.
“At Thanksgiving and every day of the year, we are deeply thankful for the men and women who serve this country,” Story said. “We appreciate the American Legion for opening their doors to these cadets and Cell Phones For Soldiers for all they do for our active-duty military and veterans.”
Patriot Mobile is proud to partner with organizations like Cell Phones For Soldiers that make a tangible difference in the lives of our American heroes.
