LISTEN Expands Community Resources with Installation of Public Phone
New RandTel phone expands access to communication for Upper Valley residents
Lebanon, NH – June 16, 2026
LISTEN Community Services has installed a new RandTel public access phone to help community members stay connected to essential services, employers, healthcare providers, and family members.
The phone is located on the exterior of LISTEN’s main office in Lebanon near the Hough Street entrance and is accessible to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are free, thanks to an internet connection and an adapter used to convert standard telephone signals into digital ones.
“In rural communities, limited transportation, inconsistent cell coverage, and the high cost of mobile service can make dependable phone access a real challenge,” said Kristi Lenart-Rikert, executive director of LISTEN Community Services. “Access to reliable communication is fundamental to meeting critical needs, and supports like this help advance our mission of serving Upper Valley individuals and families with dignity, connection, and care.”
LISTEN’s phone was introduced as part of an initiative led by Patrick Schlott, a Vermont-based electrical engineer and owner of RandTel, to restore and repurpose pay phones as free public communication resources for communities. It is the tenth device installed by RandTel in the Upper Valley and the first the company has deployed in New Hampshire. Other nearby locations include Latham Library in Thetford Center, VT and Woodstock Union High School in Woodstock, VT.
The phone is housed in LISTEN’s small exterior Resource Shelf, dedicated in 2018 by the Lebanon High School Interact Club in memory of Susan Donnelly, a Lebanon Rotarian. The Resource Shelf also provides free health supplies including Naloxone (Narcan) nasal spray, Fentanyl test strips, hygiene products, and more.
LISTEN Community Services
Jill Marshall Development & Communications Director
