Your Old Phone Could Save a Life

The Bridgetown Community Resource Centre (CRC) has now become a collection point for your old phones, which may be used by a program called DV Safe Phone.

Since 2020, DV Safe Phone has collected, repaired and distributed free mobile phones to domestic violence (DV) victims through a nationwide network of more than 400 agency partners - DV agencies include police stations, hospitals and safe houses right across Australia.

The CRC’s Manager, Jane Wittenoom together with Rudi Stryk have taken on this collection initiative and have established a collection point at Bridgetown CRC, along with support from Transition Bridgetown for funding the cost of the initial setup.

For those fleeing domestic violence a smart phone is an everyday essential item in this modern age.

“We use the smart phone for banking, Government services, for emailing and for contacting our loves ones.

“The phone they have previously used can be used for coercive control, with abusive calls, through tracking location apps, banking apps as well as allowing the perpetrators to know who and where their victim is seeking help.

“The DV Safe Phone allows domestic violence victims to be empowered to live safe, connected lives through sustainable technology solutions,” Rudi Stryk explained.

When upgrading, your old phone can have a renewed purpose if it is 4G capable, it can be used.

There is one important change which needs to be made to your phone before you remove the sim card, and that is to go to settings and restore your phone to the factory default setting, thus wiping out all your personal information on the phone giving the team at DV safe phone a clear way ahead.

If your phone cannot be used as a phone, the phone parts can also be used to make other collected damaged phones like new, the screen, battery and lenses can all used, the bits that cannot be used are then sent on to a Mobile Muster collection point.

The phones are transported to Queensland by an arrangement of commercial partners, given a new life and then redistributed through DV agencies, Rudi is proceeding to establish an agency in Bridgetown.

Rudi concludes with, “When you drop off your old phone in the collection box at the Bridgetown CRC, through this community support you are transforming lives, promoting sustainability, and helping to ensure that every call for help from a DV victim who has a renewed phone is heard.”