It Pays to Advertise

Undersheriff Michael Vasicek is the coordinator for the 911 Cell Phone Bank program in Midland County, Michigan.  This program has been quite active, with collected cell phones approaching 200, and the number of 911 emergency phones distributed approaching 70.  When he saw that collections were slowing down, he  placed a public service article in the local paper in which he described the program and the advantages of receiving a 911 emergency phone.  “It’s really good for the senior traveler, who may not like the technology of today’s world, but still wants the backup.  It’s an insurance policy,”  he stated.  He also indicated that many of the people who requested phones were asking for them to be given to their elderly parents.  Commenting on the variety of phones being received, he stated “the important thing is that it works” and also stated that “they’re recycling old phones, so it’s helping our environment”.  As a result of the article’s publication, some 50 cell phones were received by the Sheriff’s office in less than 2 weeks.

 If your organization is in need of a boost, consider getting your message out in a similar fashion.  All local media have a social mandate for such communications.