It usually was 3 a.m. when Irma Shaw heard from her husband, Paul, when he was stationed in Iraq and Kuwait during the Gulf War.
Cell phones weren't around in 1990-91, so soldiers stood in line for time to talk with their families. At 3 a.m. in Georgia, it was 10 a.m. in the Middle East.
"I know what it's like to wait for family to call," she said.
Mrs. Shaw is one of many members in the LaFayette Woman's Club who sympathize with soldiers' need to connect with their families. To make it easier, the women are participating in the Cell Phones For Soldiers project to help.
The group -- about 35 women -- has been collecting cell phones for nearly a year. They already have sent off 50 phones and have 20 more ready to be mailed, club President Carol Bennett said.
Johnny Horne, who was an Air Force bomber pilot and Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam war, said the women's work will be appreciated.
"When you come out of battle, to be able to talk to someone back home, when you have free time to spend it with that special person -- no matter how brief it may be -- is great," said the Chattanooga resident.
The women got involved in the project after Beverly Byrd read about the Cell Phones for Soldiers program.
According to www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com, siblings Brittany and Robbie Bergquist of Norwell, Mass., founded the organization in 2004, when Brittany was 13 and Robbie was 12.
They started the program after hearing about an Army reservist who had a $7,600 bill for making calls home from Iraq.
Ms. Byrd said she grew up during the Vietnam war and understands the need for a connection to families and lives back home.
"They're a long way from home, and one little bit of America means a lot to them. We want them to have that," she said.
The club, which has been active in LaFayette since 1938, also has sent care packages to soldiers and mailed cards to them.
TO HELP
* Donate cell phones at Dr. Paul Shaw's office at 611 N. Main St. LaFayette GA 30728.
* Phones can be in any condition and don't have to have batteries. The phones are refurbished and sold, with proceeds used to buy prepaid cell phone cards for soldiers.
* Phone companies are giving two prepaid calling cards for each donated cell phone.