Help a Soldier "ring" in the New Year

Did you or any of your loved ones receive an upgraded cell phone for Christmas? Perhaps the old one is sitting, spent and lifeless in your kitchen's junk drawer?

Here's a way to turn your trash into someone else's treasure. A program called "Cell Phones for Soldiers," will recycle your old phone and use the money to buy calling cards for soldiers. I absolutely love this idea! We actually received a postage paid pouch to send a phone in for this program in one of those valu-packs of coupons that come in the mail, but the Cell Phones for Soldiers website explains how to pay the postage yourself, or you can download and print a pre-paid postage label off their site.

If you want to bypass the mail entirely, check here for a drop off point near you. To date, this thoughtful program has sent 400,000 calling cards to soldiers, and it was all started with an idea two teenagers had, that they funded with $21.

This is definitely a lesson in encouraging our youth to make a difference in the lives of others, in the environment, as well as in their own lives, through charity and consideration.