{"id":60732,"date":"2025-12-01T12:43:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T16:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaker.ca\/?p=60732"},"modified":"2025-12-01T12:43:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T16:43:07","slug":"phones-for-the-holidays-goes-province-wide-to-connect-nova-scotians-in-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/?p=60732","title":{"rendered":"Phones for the holidays goes province-wide to connect Nova Scotians in crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Annual campaign calls on Nova Scotians to donate used smartphones for people
experiencing homelessness and housing instability<\/em><\/strong>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HALIFAX: <\/strong> Phones for the Holidays, a community-led campaign that puts working smartphones into the hands of people experiencing homelessness and gender-based violence, is expanding across Nova Scotia through a new partnership between GEO Nova Scotia, Boom12 Communications, and Geebo Device Repair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Launched seven years ago in Halifax in memory of community-based RN, Patti Melanson, the campaign collects used smartphones and refurbishes them as needed to distribute through community organizations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each phone is paired with a one-month prepaid plan so people in crisis can use them immediately to access services, keep medical appointments, call for help, stay in touch with loved ones, and
look for housing and work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, an expanded network of over 40 partners across Nova Scotia is aiming to distribute at least 1,000 working smartphones to people in crisis, donated throughout December to any one of 80+ drop-off locations, including nearly all 55 MLA offices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ADVERTISEMENT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GEO Nova Scotia, Boom12, and Geebo Device Repair are coordinating outreach, operations, and repairs, while the public is asked to contribute phones and charitable donations in order to buy phone cards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For information on how and where to donate a phone, donate towards the purchase of phone cards, or become a campaign partner, visit phonesfortheholidays.ca.
QUOTES:
“We see every day how access to a reliable cellphone is a lifeline for individuals impacted by violence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This drive will allow us to provide more community members the tools they need to reach safety and support when they need it most.” \u2014 Ashley Tiller, Violence to Resilience Manager, YWCA Halifax. s<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“GEO\u2019s work is about more than technology \u2013 it’s about dignity, opportunity, and inclusion. To some, a phone may seem like a small thing, but for women and children fleeing violence, having access to a phone can mean safety, support, and a pathway to rebuilding their lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I\u2019m so proud to support GEO\u2019s work and even more proud of the lives they\u2019re helping change \u2013 one person, one device, one connection at a time.” \u2014 Hon. Leah Martin, Minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Phones for the Holidays is an easy way for Nova Scotians across the province to contribute to a more equitable and digitally inclusive province where people are safer and have access to opportunities they could not afford on their own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Together, we\u2019re providing a lifeline for people who need it most.” \u2014 Bonnie Ste-Croix, CEO, GEO Nova Scotia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ADVERTISEMENT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“There is nothing more important than being able to call for help when you need it. That\u2019s why Geebo Device Repair is so pleased to be a key partner in Phones for the Holidays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“All of our locations will be drop-off locations and our team is proud to be providing the time and expertise to prepare the phones for distribution.” \u2014 Nic Merry, CEO, Geebo Device Repair<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Many of us upgrade our phones at this time of year. For someone living outside or experiencing gender-based violence, that same phone can mean safety, dignity, and a lifeline to care and community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Thanks to all of the partners and donors across the province, we have a real chance to make this the biggest and most impactful Phones for the Holidays campaign yet.” \u2014 Scott Gillard, CEO, of Boom12 Communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our mom valued connection over almost everything. She believed that everyone should have access to care and to those who love them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Having a phone allows for people experiencing homelessness to keep track of medical appointments, call for help, keep in touch with loved ones, seek employment and housing opportunities and beyond.
\u2014 Mackenzie Ross and Ella Debow, Patti Melanson\u2019s daughters<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Annual campaign calls on Nova Scotians to donate used smartphones for peopleexperiencing homelessness and housing instability HALIFAX: Phones for the Holidays, a community-led campaign that puts working smartphones into the hands of people experiencing homelessness and gender-based violence, is expanding across Nova Scotia through a new partnership between GEO Nova Scotia, Boom12 Communications, and Geebo […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":60733,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,957],"tags":[9838,9839,7493,50,1680,48,1077,9840,9841],"class_list":["post-60732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-news","tag-boom12-communications","tag-geebo-device","tag-geo-nova-scotia","tag-halifax","tag-holidays","tag-n-s","tag-nova-scotia","tag-phones-for-the-holidays","tag-smartphones"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=60732"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60732\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/60733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=60732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=60732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=60732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}