The Cellphone Project

Why Cellphones?

The Cellphone Project (TCP) began as a mutual aid project collecting used smartphones, loading them with minutes and a SIM card, and passing them on to vulnerable, often houseless folks who had no other means of communication.

 After we began doing this work on a very small scale, it quickly became apparent that there was a much greater need going unmet than we had originally realized. We observed various barriers to receiving a government phone, and also noted the long timeline (often months), a luxury many do not have. We also began learning from various local agencies and organizations that they often have clients who present with this specific need, yet they have difficulty meeting the need as it is often “out of their wheelhouse.”

Recognizing the scale of the need, The Cellphone Project was born and incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit! TCP’s goal is to fill these existing gaps in  access by assisting our referring partner agencies on the front lines serving TCP’s target populations in Western North Carolina and accepting direct requests for assistance. In doing so, we hope to meet this critical need by providing what is often a necessary tool when an individual is in an active state of change.

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More about TCP

    • People in Transitional or Recovery Housing

    • Men & Women returning from incarceration

    • Families & Individuals living in homeless shelters

    • Children aging out of foster care & parents in DSS reunification plans

    • Survivors of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking

    • Elderly &Disabled members of our communities

  • Identifying the Need -- Access to a phone and internet connectivity is a basic utility in 2025.

    ​What you can't do without a phone:

    • Call 911 

    • Stay in touch with your case manager or get a case manager at all to apply for services, and THEN be able to make it to interviews and appointments

    • Keep up with medical appointments and medications (Lots of programs are offering Zoom therapy and Tele-health now; not having a phone requires unneccessary travel and/or inability to comply)​​

    • Look for a job, housing, or resources (Many programs require the client to call in on a certain day per week to remain on the waiting list)

    • Check the bus route and schedule, the temperature, time, forecast, or what services are available that day and where (Such as what organizations are serving meals on a given day)

    • Stay in touch with family, friends, and support network

    When applying for a government phone (Obamaphone), individuals are asked for a mailing address, a picture ID, and are subject to various other requirements, in addition to a wait time. Time is a luxury vulnerable people typically do not have.

  • What a typical end user will receive:

    • Working 5G smartphone phone in new or like-new condition with a charged battery; 

    • SIM card or eSIM with three months of cellular service

    • Charger cable

    • Information card about the phone, cellular plan, and how to keep their number afer 90 days

    We also offer chargers and SIM cards/minutes for those who already have a phone.

  • TCP works only through partner organizations. Please reach out for more information on how our technology offerings could benefit your organization!

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