The Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County unveiled a new Freedom Calls Center on Monday November 9. Freedom Calls provides free videoconferencing calls for local families and friends of military personnel serving at selected camps in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.

A Freedom Calls Center has been set up on the lower level of Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building, located at 115 South Avenue in downtown Rochester, that is equipped with a 52” flat screen monitor, computer, and a web camera which families and friends can use to actively communicate with their loved ones stationed at: in Iraq at Camp Taji, Camp Baharia, Camp Taqaddum, Al Asad Airbase, and Camp Victory; in Kuwait at Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Saleem Airbase; and in Afghanistan at Bagram Airfield.

Callers must know when their soldier can be available to call, and then will schedule use of the Center with the library’s Program Coordinator at 428-8304. Calls may be made between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm Monday-Friday. Weekend calls may be scheduled as per available satellite time.

This service is provided free of charge by the Freedom Calls Foundation, a non-profit organization working to connect families and friends to soldiers at no cost.

The equipment necessary to operate Freedom Calls at the Central Library has been generously provided by the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 20. Chapter President Ken Moore said “Chapter 20 was formed nearly 30 years ago on the founding principle that "Never again shall one generation of veterans abandon another". Today our support of this project is one way that will help us fulfill this commitment to our brother and sister veterans. It is with great pleasure that I can represent our 450 members in providing the funding to the Rochester Public Library.”