A local outreach center is benefiting from proceeds provided by consumers who sign up for cell phone service this month.
Freedom Wireless, the parent company that owns the Cricket wireless store in Jacksonville is donating $10.00 from every new service activation to the Crisis Center Foundation of Jacksonville.
Dona Carter Leanard with the Crisis Center says that this is the second year Freedom wireless has provided donations, which all started from the help of a former client.
“I can say this because she has said it publicly before, a former client of ours actually works for Freedom Wireless and she called last year and said she would like to give back somehow now that she is doing well, buy a family some Christmas presents or something like that.
From there it just kind of blossomed into this big thing and her boss who is the owner of Freedom Wireless along with his family decided that they were going to provide a Christmas party for the center clients and their children. They had a meal, Santa Claus came, there were activities for the children, they bought presents for 43 children last year, and they even provided transportation for clients who could not get to where the party was.”
The mission of the Crisis Center is to enable victims of domestic violence to regain or develop the skills needed to live without further abuse.
Leanard says that the company also solicited help from other businesses in the area who donated items such as televisions and vacuum cleaners to the center for clients trying to get back on their feet.
She says that last year the center received approximately $2,200.00 from Freedom Wireless in a combination a general donation by the group on top of the $10.00 per service activation pledge.
The donation of funds per each service activation runs from December 1st, through the 24th at local Freedom Wireless Cricket Mobile locations.
Leonard says that the AMVETS Post 100 in Jacksonville has again donated their banquet hall for the Crisis Center Foundation Christmas Party provided by the retailer.
The party is for clients only, but if you would like to make a donation to the Crisis Center Foundation, but are not in the market to change cell service providers at this time, you call call the center at 217-243-4357 to find out how to pledge a monetary donation to the center.
The Crisis Center also at times takes donations of new or gently used items for clients and their families who many times are in the process of rebuilding a home as well as a life.
You can also arrange to make a donation to the center by going to the Crisis Center Foundation Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/crisiscenterfoundation