Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as a part of a campaign I’m doing with Verizon FiOS in New York
I remember growing up and often wondering why my mother would wait until Sunday afternoon to speak to family in the Dominican Republic. And why those calls only lasted about 10-15 minutes.
See, my mother grew up in the Dominican Republic during the dictatorship of Trujillo. She was the first in her family to leave for a better life in the U.S, and with that she left her entire life behind and her only connection was making phone calls to her siblings, aunts, uncles, etc.
And because culture is a huge part of who we are, my mother used these phone calls to help my brother, and I learn about the history of our culture and bring us closer to those we wouldn't get a chance to meet. But the cost of keeping those connections alive would often mean paying anywhere between $2-300 a month in calls.
And as much as she did not want to lose those connections for her sake and ours, she felt she didn’t have much of an option but reduce the frequency in which we spoke to family. Our weekly calls became monthly calls until finally they would only occur on special occasions.
But as years passed, and my mother now being in her mid-70’s, her need to stay connected with family has increased and finding a way for her to do that on a budget with her current carrier doesn't seem to be working out as well as we would have hoped.
For me, the way I stay connected to family is via technology. The Internet is what allows me to connect to those closest to me. And the speed of my connection allows for seamless upload and download of pictures, and videos. And all this has been facilitated, for the last eleven years through Verizon FiOS.
Unfortunately, my mother has not had the same luck. Although she emails and receives pictures and videos of family members, her connection is often shoddy and inconsistent leaving her frustrating and out of touch.
Thankfully, we recently found out Verizon FiOS is now available in her area. She is happy to know she will have family close to her once again, even if it is over the Internet and phone. And as a new client, she is eligible to make Unlimited International Calling to the Dominican Republic. She is looking forward to no longer being limited to calling on specific days or times to speak with loved ones.
And to make her feel as if she is back in her homeland she also has the option to access international programming options allowing her to further stay connected. Making her the happiest lady on her block.
