"This is theft masquerading as charity," he said. "If companies want to help the poor, they should take the money out of their own hides, not their customers'."
Beyond that, some say, the sight of the poor with cell phones simply doesn't sit well with some people, particularly older folks who aren't very familiar with cell phones anyway, said Marianne Bellesorte, director of policy at PathWays PA, a nonprofit advocacy group for poor women in Holmes, Delaware County.
She added that, in hard times, cells are vital. "During the recession, people lost their homes and had to live with others," Bellesorte said. "They need cell phones to stay in touch and to get jobs."
Beyond basic communication, cell phones help the poor in other ways.
Just last month, the Maternity Care Coalition, a Center City nonprofit working to improve maternal and child health, began a project to help poor expectant mothers.
The Text for Baby program, paid for by phone carriers, sends messages to new mothers' cell phones about nutrition, growth, and other issues coinciding with their babies' development.
Many shelters for battered women provide free cell phones to clients so they can stay in touch with people who can help them.
Anyone who has a problem with the poor having cell phones should just get used to it, says Tangela Fedrick, a 21-year-old welfare recipient who works part time in child care.
"People think I'm trying to get away with something," said Fedrick, who has a TracFone.
"Welfare case workers say to me, 'Oh, you've got a cell phone. You don't need welfare.' Ninety percent of the time, I have no minutes. I keep it if I have to call the cops, or if my kid's asthma gets bad and I need a doctor.
"Don't judge me before you know the facts."
Contact staff writer Alfred Lubrano at 215-854-4969 or alubrano@phillynews.com.
