International Service

We have just completed our twelfth Rotary International sponsored trip to the Dominican Republic where we have served over one thousand hard of hearing patients at the Good Samaritan Hospital in La Romana.

In addition, we will continue to provide solar rechargeable technology for recharging hearing aid batteries. This technology will reduce the operation expense for hearing aid users and make hearing affordable.

Every trip has been a wonderful opportunity for all of us to give these kids the gift of hearing and a chance for a better life. We wish to thank Rotary International, Portland Rotary, Ogunquit Rotary, South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary, York Rotary, the children and personnel at Cape Elizabeth Middle School, and Siemens Hearing Instruments and Starkey Labs, for their recent hearing aid contributions. Thanks also to Oaktree Products and Global Biotechnologies for donations of supplies and to all those individuals who donated cash, used hearing aids, and cell phones.

We would like to share some of the pictures of the children who touched the hearts of all those involved. Those of you who have donated hearing aids toward this project may feel a special pride of knowing your donations directly benefited these children.

See a news story about our work in the Dominican Republic:

- Windows Media Format

Donate Your Cell Phone

On average, Americans replace their cell phones every 12 months. Over 65 million cellular phones are stockpiled in U.S. households creating 30,000 tons of potentially hazardous waste. By 2005, an estimated 130 million cellular phones will be discarded annually in the U.S. alone.

Cell phones contain toxic substances including arsenic, anitmony, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc which leach into soil and groundwater from landfills and from highly toxic dioxins & furans during incineration.

These toxins have been associated with cancer and a range of reproductive neurological and developmental disorders. The cadmium from a single phone is capable of polluting 158,200 gallons of water. (That's 2.4 million 8-ounce sodas!)

Some cell phones can be refurbished and resold and when that happens, Portland Rotary uses those funds to purchase hearing aids, solar battery chargers and batteries for the hearing impaired people in the Dominican Republic.