UF's Family Law Society is trying to make sure that every call for help can be heard.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the organization is collecting cell phones and chargers to donate to victims of domestic violence so they can call 911 during an emergency.
The "Call Out Against Domestic Violence" drive will run until Oct. 29, and the collection box is in the lobby of the Levin College of Law Library.
Family Law Society President Kelly Damerow, a second-year law student at the Levin College of Law, said the drive is part of an effort to get the organization involved in the community.
It is the first time the group has held a cell phone drive.
"We hope to make it annual," she said.
According to rules set by the Federal Communications Commission, all wireless service providers must transmit 911 calls regardless of whether the caller is a subscriber or not.
This way, even if an old cell phone is disconnected, it can still call 911.
The idea for the project came from second-year law student Jennifer Marks, secretary of the Family Law Society.
"It was something I was passionate about," she said.
While taking a summer class dedicated to domestic violence, she learned that victims often don't have ways to call for help because of financial reasons or controlling partners.
"We're really just trying to educate," she said.
All of the donated cell phones and chargers will go to Peaceful Paths, an organization that provides shelter and other services for domestic abuse victims in Alachua, Bradford and Union counties.
The collection started Monday, and as of Wednesday afternoon, Marks said they had received five cell phones and seven chargers.
"Whatever you can donate will help," she said.
