For people who are transitioning from homelessness to their own places, having to get a cell phone on top of that might not be affordable for some people.
That is why the Living Space emergency shelter in Timmins is holding a used cell phone drive.
Lisa Tremblay, the shelter's engagement and education coordinator, is inviting people to donate mobile devices they no longer use.
They will be given to clients when they're ready to move into their own homes.
"Then, we can get the client set up on pay-as-you-go (plan)," Tremblay said.
"So $25 a month, unlimited, and doing that will allow for the clients to actually hold better communication lines with workers, with agencies, in order to help them succeed."
Anyone donating is being urged to erase all personal data, including photos or documents, from the device.
There are instructions online to help with that, the interim director of Neonet MJ Filo said.
"Whether you’re donating or selling or just giving away a device to a family friend, you’re data is very important," Filo said.
"It’s best to keep that safe. So erasing any type of information that’s on that device is the best option and then you can go into a factory reset. So it’ll just bring it back to as though you just opened the box from the store and are ready to use for somebody else."
Filo said Neonet will help people who are truly stuck on figuring out how to wipe the data from their phones.
Tremblay said donated phones may be dropped off at the Living Space office at 316 Spruce Street South weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. or people can contact the office at 705-531-7233 to schedule a pickup.
