Cellcom donation to support Waupaca Eco-Park

CAP Services is the recipient of a $1,000 Green Gift from Cellcom.

CAP Services’ Fresh Start Program is currently working on the development of the Waupaca Eco-Park, and the Green Gift will support the effort.

“The Waupaca Eco-Park is dedicated to educating Fresh Start participants, school groups and the general public about environmental sustainability issues,” said Clif Morton, CAP Services’ Fresh Start Program coordinator.

He said, “So far, our participants have completed an open air shelter built entirely of locally sourced cedar and recycled wood and metal roof components. We will be adding an education center, natural amphitheater, children’s discovery play areas and some trails through a wooded ravine area – all built from renewable, recycled and re-purposed resources. The project is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2016.”

CAP Services is a nonprofit organization that aims to increase the ability of low-income individuals to become economically and emotionally self-sufficient.

Its Fresh Start Program in Waupaca serves at-risk youth ages 16-24, giving them an opportunity to work toward their high school equivalency diploma, pursue post-secondary educational opportunities and develop workplace and life skills.

A total of $34,675 was given out to 31 green organizations in Cellcom’s service area through the 2015 Green Gifts program.

Since 2004, Cellcom has offered a cellphone recycling program where customers may bring in their old or unwanted phones to be reused and recycled.

Cellcom sends the phones to recyclers, who in return send money to Cellcom for the materials that were saved from the phones.

Cellcom donates this money back to local nonprofits.

In 2010, Cellcom launched the Green Gift program, donating its recycling funds to green nonprofit initiatives in an effort to complete the green cycle that starts with consumers being environmentally-conscious and donating their devices.