A whole lot of shredding going on at CUs

MADISON, Wis. (5/15/08)--Credit unions were busy conducting shredding events around the country the past few weeks, both to combat identity theft and to go green in recycling efforts.

State Employees' CU (SECU), Raleigh, N.C., partnered with state agencies and Iron Mountain Shredding Co. for its first Scam Jam on May 3. The event was for SECU's Golden Circle members--those 50 and older--who live within an hour of the site.

"Senior adults are the primary target for so many of today's scams, including identity theft," said Karen Daeke, vice president of SECU's security administration department.

In addition to shredding personal documents, the event provided educational workshops and informational booths. Other sponsors included the state Attorney General's Office, Division of Aging and Adult Services, and Adult Protective Services Retired Governmental Employees' Association.

In Oregon, three credit unions held shredding events April 19, according to the Credit Union Association of Oregon (Oregon Outlook May):

• Mid Oregon FCU and Secure Shred sponsored a "Free Shred" day to help community members purge old tax records and outdated records. The shredded materials are recycled as tissue paper.


• At MaPS CU's fourth Annual Community Shred event, co-sponsored with Garten Services and KBZY Radio, members shredded 16,782 pounds of documents, recycled 8,347 pounds of computer systems, and donated 290 pounds of cell phones. The event attracted 668 cars--an average of 2.5 cars per minute.


• SELCO Community CU and CDI Vaults partnered to hold ShredFest, an event in which SELCO members and the public could bring up to one trunkload of documents to shred.

In Missouri, more than 700 cars and trucks lined up at First Community CU, Chesterfield, to shred more than 14,000 pounds of documents on its shred day April 12. "Identity theft is an ongoing issue across the country, and shredding documents makes it more difficult on identity thieves, said Debra Wapelhorst, event planner. It's also an "environmentally friendly solution," she told the Missouri Credit Union Association (CourierNet April 23).

In Texas, almost 2,500 people used the free shredding service at San Antonio FCU (SACU)'s Sixth Annual Shred Day on April 19. The credit union joined four local shredding companies, WOAI News 4 and the Association of Records Managers and Administrators to sponsor the event. Trucks shredded or collected 59 tons of paper for recycling, and participants donated $5,000 for Dress for Success of San Antonio, an organization that helps women gain skills to re-enter the work force.

According to the Texas Credit Union League, other Texas credit unions with recent shredding events were AMOCO FCU, Texas City, with 15,000 pounds of shredded paper from 1,500 boxes; Cy-Fair FCU, Houston; DATCU, Denton; and East Texas Professional CU, Longview (LoneStar Leaguer May 1).

Resource Links
What to Keep and What to Throw Away

courtesy of cuna.org