Thousands of households in Washington Parish are eligible to receive a free cell phone for emergency calls only.

The phones are available through a Federal Communications Commission program called Lifeline, created 25 years ago to ensure landline phone access was affordable to rural and poor communities.

To qualify for Lifeline, a household must participate in one of the following: Medicaid, food stamps, federal housing assistance (Section 8); national school lunch (free program only) or a number of other programs, according to TracFone Wireless, the cell phone company that is providing the phones.

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“There are 8,585 Washington Parish households that can take advantage of this free program,” according to a press release from TracFone, which is offering the phones through its SafeLink Wireless program.

The program “provides a free cell phone and 68 minutes of free monthly talk time for emergencies for one year,” according to TracFone.

The 68 monthly minutes can be used for a variety of reasons, said Jose Fuentes, Director of Government Relations for TracFone. 

“We are proud to be able to now bring SafeLink Wireless to those most in need, offering them the same access and privileges many individuals take for granted when it comes to using cell phones, including contact with current or potential employers, children away from the home, or relatives in other parts of the country, not to mention vital emergency responders,” added Fuentes.

Unlimited calls to 911 can be made with phone.

Any unused minutes do not expire and automatically roll over.  The cell phone offers in-demand features: voicemail, text, call waiting, international calling to over 60 destinations and caller ID.

Additional minutes beyond their free allotment can be added by purchasing TracFone airtime cards.

For more information and to verify eligibility requirements, call 1-800-SAFELINK (1-800-723-3546) or visit www.safelink.com.