DEAR SUN SPOTS: If anyone can find out information, it’s you … we have friends moving to the area who are in need of temporary housing for an unspecified time frame. We heard there are apartments near the Auburn airport for that very purpose. I was told you can rent there on a monthly basis. Thank you for your help.
— No name, Lewiston
ANSWER: Here are a few ideas for you. I found them online and they look pretty nice! I also recommend that your friends check out Airbnb. I’ve had great luck with them, both with using the organization to rent my family’s summer home and to find great places to stay throughout the United States and in Ireland.
Also look into S.I.R Housing near the hospitals in Lewiston (http://www.sirhousing.com/) and The Auburn Mall Apartments (https://www.furnishedhousing.com/me/auburn/auburn-mall-apartments/12227).
DEAR SUN SPOTS: Do you know if AARP plans to collect papers and shred them locally?
— No name, Lisbon
ANSWER: I don’t see an event scheduled on AARP’s website for our area. However, both Staples (855 Lisbon St., Lewiston, 241-6595) and Office Max (88 Union St., Auburn, 782-1119) accept documents to be taken away and shredded for a fee of about $1 per pound. You can call ahead or just go in with your papers.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: We recently changed our cellphone, and have one that has had all information removed. I have read that there are organizations that use these for soldiers, homeless teens, etc. Could you please let us know some of the ways we can donate these phones so they can help someone? The cellphone company was just going to “recycle” them in the trash, which seems like a waste. Thank you.
— No name, no town
ANSWER: Your cellphone is of value to those who need them. If they are in working order, they can be of use in many instances. Some local providers have a drop-off for preowned cellphones that are given to nonprofits. You can also contact local women’s shelters and homeless shelters to see if they can use them for the people staying there.
Other options include a Sprint program, the 1Million Project (1Millionproject.org). The project provides free mobile devices and high-speed wireless internet connectivity to 1 million low-income, U.S. high school students who don’t have a reliable source of internet access at home.
All makes and models of phones are accepted, regardless of carrier or condition. The 1Million Project Foundation uses the proceeds from reselling or recycling your donated device to provide new ones to eligible high school students. Mailing instructions are on its website.
Cell Phones for Soldiers (cellphonesforsoldiers.com) takes your old devices and transforms them into aid for those serving in the military. Proceeds from recycled phones and cash donations are used to buy minutes that can be used to call home. With Cell Phones for Soldiers’ second program, Helping Heroes Home, phone donations are used to help veterans in the transition from service to civilian life. According to the website, you can drop off phones for this nonprofit at Androscoggin County Democrats at 814 Main St. and at MC Cellular at 236 Main St. in Lewiston.
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