The Central Rivers Farmshed received a $1,000 Green Gift from Cellcom Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Farmshed greenhouse.

Central Rivers Farmshed members represent all aspects of the food system and are committed to making central Wisconsin a renowned, local food community. The Farmshed provide opportunities for participation, education, cooperation and action to support a local food economy in central Wisconsin.

From the very beginning, Farmshed has relied on volunteers as the backbone of the organization. The Green Gift from Cellcom will support the addition of an AmeriCorps volunteer coordinator.

“Farmshed is fortunate to be situated in a community that openly embraces our goals and works tirelessly to see them come to fruition. The interest in volunteering with Farmshed has outweighed our staff capacity to oversee the volunteers in an organized fashion,” said Layne Cozzolino, executive director of the Farmshed. “An AmeriCorps volunteer coordinator will help manage our volunteer opportunities and ultimately empower our community to keep making a difference.”

A total of $34,675 was given out to 31 green organizations in Cellcom’s service area through the 2015 Green Gifts program.

Since 2004, Cellcom has offered a cellphone recycling program where customers can bring in their old or unwanted phones to be reused and recycled. Cellcom sends the phones to recyclers who in return send money to Cellcom for the materials that were saved from the phones.

Cellcom has always donated this money back to local nonprofits. In 2010, Cellcom launched the Green Gift program, donating their recycling funds to green nonprofit initiatives in an effort to complete the green cycle that starts with consumers being environmentally-conscious and donating their devices.