Every year, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are celebrated across the nation with cards, flowers and sweet sentiments. A few months later, an occasion arrives which is deserving of the same amount of fanfare, yet remains widely unrecognized – Grandparent’s Day. This event is celebrated annually on the first Sunday after Labor Day, falling this year on September 13th.
However, according to AARP1, 50 percent of grandparents live more than 200 miles away from their grandchildren. With many miles dividing loved ones, maintaining a close connection has proven to be a challenge for many families.
Miguel Sevilla, a resident of Chicago, was confronted with this struggle, as he deeply desired for his six year old son to remain in steady contact with his grandparents in Mexico. Although the Sevilla family made trips once a year to visit them, these visits were not enough to foster the strong bond Miguel hoped for his son to enjoy. Through the clutter of phone plans, calling cards and smartphone apps, Miguel sought to find a service that was simple to use, cost-effective and above all, reliable. With the help of Vonage, Miguel’s dreams of family closeness were transformed into reality.
Vonage bridges the distance that so many families face and ensures that loved ones are never more than a mere phone call away. Vonage offers a number of different calling plans to meet the varying needs of their customers, whether they call internationally or domestically. Customers can also take their home calling plan (and rates) on the go by linking their home phone number to up to two smartphones with the Vonage Extensions® App, so they never miss a call while away from home. Even better, they can use their smartphones over Wi-Fi and avoid airtime or data charges from their mobile carrier. Plans include 20 features, such as the ability to block unwanted numbers, forward calls, receive voicemail via text or email and more.
The bond between Miguel’s son and his grandparents is now stronger than ever before. His son gets on the phone each and every night and recites prayers with his grandparent’s right before bedtime. They have even begun to teach their grandson their native language of Spanish during these calls. Miguel is overjoyed at the intergenerational communication that Vonage has strengthened for his family: “We’ve had Vonage for 10 years…We are very happy. We’re never going to make a change.”
This Grandparent’s Day, let’s take the time to remember all of the lessons we have learned from our own grandmothers and grandfathers. No matter how far away they may live, give them a call this September 13th – you never know the connections that one phone call can create.
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