(Lander, WY) – Responding to a critical need of people in war-torn Ukraine, the Lander Rotary Club has launched a project to convert used solar panels into cell phone chargers for shipment to schools, hospitals, and individuals in Ukraine. The first converted panels will be shipped to Ukraine in the next few weeks.
“Without a reliable power grid and electricity, teachers and school kids, hospital workers, and other citizens often have no way to charge their cell phones to help them stay safe in the war,” said Ken Schreuder, a retired engineer and Rotarian who is leading the Rotary club’s project. “These solar panels have reached the end of their useful commercial lives here, but by adding a simple converter we can turn them into cell phone chargers that can charge 2-4 cell phones in a couple of hours.”
With charged cell phones, Ukrainians can receive important news and alerts, such as evacuation orders and air raid warnings.
The panels are also a source of encouragement for the Ukrainian people. Encouraging messages are written on the backs of the panels to let the people of Ukraine know that the American people support them. “This is one way we can let them know that America has not forgotten them,” Schreuder said.
The cost of attaching a voltage converter to a panel and shipping the panel to Ukraine is less than $150 per panel.
The first solar panels converted by club members will be displayed at the Rotary BBQ in Lander City Park on July 4.
For a small donation to help with future project expenses, visitors will be able to write messages to the Ukrainian people on cards that will be attached to the panels. Donations may also be made to the Lander Rotary Club, P.O. Box 502, Lander, WY 82520. All donations will be used 100% to support the project.
The Rotary Club welcomes other groups to join the project; if interested, contact Ken Schreuder at [email protected].