Normal Gadgets has teamed up with CDV/Neville House and Cell Phones For Soldiers to accept gently used and broken cell phones as donations. Normal Gadgets is asking Bloomington/Normal residents to help troops to call home and those assisted by the Neville House to have accessible cell phones for 911 emergency calls. By donating to Normal Gadgets, Twin City residents can provide safe accessible phones for those in need and for troops that want the precious connection to loved ones back home.

Residents can donate their phones to Normal Gadgets at:

2103 North Veterans Parkway
Suite 112
Bloomington, IL 61704 

“A 911 cell phone can mean the moments between life and death in a violent relationship. A soldier far away has a small sense of being home when in contact with family and friends as they are deployed away,” said Terry Ballantini from Normal Gadgets. “Understanding that Normal Gadgets is in a unique position in being able to clean and repair donated cell phones, allows us the compassion to fix them up and get them to those in need.”

Phones and components that cannot be refurbished are dismantled and responsibly recycled to reclaim materials.

For more information, visit www.NormalGadgets.com 

About Cell Phones for Soldiers 

Cell Phones for Soldiers Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing cost-free communication services to active duty military members and veterans. Based in Norwell, Mass., Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded in 2004 by Robbie and Brittany Bergquist, then 12 and 13 years old. The organization has provided more than 168 million minutes of free talk time to deployed military members. Beginning in 2012, “Helping Heroes Home” will provide emergency funds for returning veterans to alleviate communication challenges as well as physical, emotional and assimilation hardships. For more information, visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.

About CDV/Neville House 

This program, which operates in McLean County only, is designed to create safe, nurturing families free from violence and control through free and confidential services. CDV assists and empowers families in crisis situations with individual and group counseling for adults and children and serves as a community resource by providing awareness, advocacy, and education on the issue of domestic violence. As the only emergency shelter in the area, we can empower residents as they strive to accomplish their goals through assistance in areas such as domestic violence education, life skills training, transportation, medical assistance and parenting support.

For more information, visit www.mccainc.org/programs/countering-domestic-violence.

Interested residents of Normal are invited to contact Council members and weigh in on curbside recycling, which has received mixed public response. The town is considering a weekly, single-stream recycling program.

Bloomington, which already offers curbside recycling, plans to launch single-stream collection with automated recycling trucks later this year.

It’s that time of year! Each weekend about 54 million Americans mow their lawns, using 800 million gallons of gas annually and producing tons of air pollutants. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a new gas-powered lawn mower produces as much air pollution in one hour as 11 new cars. (Source: http://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/faq-environment.htm )

The Ecology Action Center’s Yard Smart program encourages yard care that is ecologically sustainable. Their website offers a host of helpful resources about steps you can take, such as switching to low-maintenance native landscaping, and reducing your reliance on chemical pesticides and fertilizers.