Toowoomba residents are urged to donate their old mobile phones to provide a lifeline for victims of domestic violence.

The DV Safe Phone program ensures donated mobile phones are erased, tested and distributed to someone in need.

Member for Toowoomba South David Janetzki MP said the program was a simple and practical way to help the thousands of victims of domestic violence victims in our region.

“The mobile phone is one of the first items to be smashed or stolen during domestic violence incidents, leaving victims cut off from the outside world with no way to call for help,” Mr Janetzki said.

“Registered domestic violence and law enforcement agencies give the mobile phones to victims to take home and hide as part of their escape plan,” he said.

“Please donate an old phone if you can – you might just save a life.”

Lions Club of Toowoomba West member Robyn Bishop is collecting old mobile phones for the DV Safe Phone charity.

Mrs Bishop has placed a branded DV Safe Phone donation box at the HumeRidge Church of Christ office for members of the public to donate their old working phones.

“There are so many women in bad situations that they (charity) just can’t keep up with the need for a secret phone,” Mrs Bishop said.

“Many people have old mobile phones sitting in bottom drawers, so we are encouraging them to drop off the phones at a collection point,” she said.

DV Safe Phone collects, erases, repairs and gives free mobile phones to domestic violence survivors through more than 200 domestic violence and law enforcement agencies, safe houses and hospitals Australia-wide.

Received phones are tested to ensure they work then paired with a new charging cable, sim card and call credit.

Visit the below link for simple instructions on how to prepare your phone for donation, for example turning off screen lock, signing out of your Google/Apple/Samsung accounts and restoring factory settings:

https://dvsafephone.org/donate-phones