Chrysler LLC Reconnects Military Families for the Holidays
* Chrysler partners with the Freedom Calls Foundation to help military families to talk via video conferencing during the holidays
* Chrysler video conferencing facilities will be available to the public through Jan. 14, 2008
* Families can register for time slots by calling (248)512-HERO or sending an e-mail to HERO@chrysler.com
* Chrysler is the only company in southeast Michigan offering this service
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Dec. 17 -- In celebration of the holidays, Chrysler LLC has partnered with the Freedom Calls Foundation to provide families in southeast Michigan the opportunity to reconnect with family members serving on active duty in Iraq. The free video conferencing calls will be offered at the company's Auburn Hills, Mich., headquarters through Jan. 14, 2008.
Families in southeast Michigan who have members serving on active duty in Iraq can call (248)512-HERO or send an e-mail to HERO@chrysler.com to schedule a time. Families can talk to their soldier in Iraq for up to 30 minutes.
The soldier must be stationed at (or be able to gain access to) one of four stations in Iraq: Camp Taji, Camp Fallujah, Al Asad Air Base, and Camp Victory. Each location has video conferencing equipment available for scheduled use and has the ability to connect with other locations with similar equipment.
"It is important that we show our appreciation to our soldiers and continue to stand by our military families as they sacrifice so much to defend our country," said Bob Nardelli, Chairman and CEO, Chrysler LLC. "By making our video conferencing facilities available for military families to reconnect during the holidays, Chrysler adds to a long legacy of support for those who wear the uniform and preserve our way of life."
Nardelli will kick off the initiative by speaking via video conference to Spc. Sean Stamps, a soldier from Pontiac, Mich. who is stationed at Camp Taji in Iraq. Stamps' family will also be present and will have the opportunity to speak to Stamps for the first time in several months.
Access to the video conferencing equipment will be made available, on a scheduled basis, from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, and 24 hours a day, Saturday and Sunday through Jan. 14, 2008.
Coordination of video conferencing activities is managed by the Freedom Calls Foundation, a non-profit organization whose stated mission is to make state-of-the-art communication resources available to military families free of charge. Freedom Calls currently administers over 2,000 calls totaling more than 1.5 million minutes each month for military families to reconnect with their soldier.
"We are excited that Chrysler has made their video conference resources available and partnered with the Freedom Calls Foundation to help military families reconnect for the holidays," said John B. Harlow II, Founder and Executive Director of the Freedom Calls Foundation. "This effort will make a difference in the lives of many families this holiday season."
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