Donated phones a lifeline for people who are homeless or escaping violence, advocates say

Some Nova Scotia organizations working with vulnerable communities are urging members of the public to donate their old cellphones so they can be put to good use helping others.

Halifax’s Mobile Outreach Street Health provides health-care services for people who are homeless or in unstable housing situations and has been accepting used phones since 2018.

Since 2021, local businesses have partnered with them on a cellphone collection drive over the Christmas season.

“We’re doing the phone drive in the holiday season because people are more in a mood to give, but also are upgrading their own phones and they’re looking for a good use for their old phone,” said Sam Krawec, the organization’s health case manager. 

Krawec said people who are marginalized or don’t have stable housing often don’t have a phone. That means that if they are diagnosed with an illness or require treatment, the mobile outreach is unable to reach them.

Locating and making contact with patients is the hardest part of helping them get access to health care, he said.

Demand for phones is high

He said the demand for phones from clients is high and seems to have increased since last winter.

Krawec said the phones are distributed based on need because there are not enough donated phones to meet the demand.

He said the criteria for assigning a phone include people who have a serious medical diagnosis or require time-sensitive treatment.

Krawec said they are looking for donations of all kinds of phones including flip phones, and ask that the wall chargers be included with the phone.

He said donated smartphones are useful for people who require accessibility options like text-to-speech or who need a browser to help them with tasks like finding housing opportunities.

In order for people to use the phones, the mobile outreach is also asking people to donate new SIM cards that the organization activates.

Krawec said phones can be dropped off at the North End Community Health Centre main office at 2131 Gottingen St. or at local businesses participating in the organization’s phone drive.

Halifax outreach navigator Lucas Goltz agrees with Krawec’s views on the importance of cellphones to people who are homeless.

He said they are crucial for enabling people to get housing and for accessing medical help if needed.

Goltz said they are an essential tool in helping him work with clients.

“It’s really helpful to be able to text with them. It’s really helpful to be able to call them, especially if they’re in crisis,” he said.

Critical for ensuring safety

Ann de Ste Croix, provincial co-ordinator for the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia, said having access to a cellphone is important for women fleeing violence. She said the association has been accepting phone donations for years.

“It’s a tool that they can use to reach out for help,” de Ste Croix said. “It’s a tool that they can use to access information, and it really is an important piece in rebuilding someone’s life.”

Restricting access to friends, family and others is one of the tactics used by an abusive partner that prevents women from reaching out for help, she said.

She said transition houses provide women with a cellphone and number that their partner does not know as an important lifeline.

De Ste Croix said having a phone became even more vital when most communication went online at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the public response has been overwhelmingly positive, but they still don’t have enough phones to meet the demand.

She said any phone that can take a charge and make a call is useful to them and they can be dropped off at the association’s administrative office in Halifax.