By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
Nearly two decades ago, Family Security Credit Union in Decatur teamed up with the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama to give the community a chance to have a safe way of disposing of their documents. The purpose was to offer a service to our area that would lessen the possibility of identity theft, which at the time was nowhere near the problem that it is today. I spoke with Karen Reeves with the BBB, and she told me that these days someone is affected by identity theft every 22 seconds, and it’s only getting worse. “No one should ever put paper in their trash that has their contact information on it,” she said. Simply put, Shred Day is a way to reduce your risk of having your identity stolen.
That first event was held in the parking lot of the Family Security headquarters in Decatur, and a whopping ten people showed up. As the event grew, it was moved to Calhoun Community College to give access to both Morgan and Limestone residents. In 2017, there was enough support to have a separate Shred Day in Athens and Decatur. Once again Athens State University is sponsoring this year’s event, which will be held in their parking lot on Saturday, September 27, from 9 a.m. to noon. Karen also mentioned that if the trucks are filled up before noon, they will close then. The trucks that do the shredding are computerized and have cameras inside. The units are able to handle papers that are stapled, so you don’t need to pull staples prior to bringing your items to be shredded. That being said, please make sure there are no other types of waste in your bags. One year a piece of metal got in the truck and caused a great deal of damage.
Sponsoring a Shred Day back then and continuing on with what has become a popular free event annually is completely consistent with BBB’s mission: “To be the leader in advancing marketplace trust.” And helping businesses, non-profits, and individual households protect themselves from fraud is right in their wheelhouse. Now there are Shred Days held across the USA by all 91 BBB offices. Most are in the spring, and people start calling the BBB in January to find out the day for both events.
Shred Day is about way more than shredding paper. It is also an important opportunity to safely dispose of medicines, and that part is handled by the Athens Police Department. “If you will bring non-liquid medicines, they will take care of getting rid of them in a way that keeps them out of the water supply, and you CANNOT bring needles to this event,” Karen said. In addition, no questions will be asked about any prescriptions that are handed over to the police.
One more feature of this event is that there will be an opportunity to safely get rid of electronics. Peggy Cole, also with the BBB said, “We are taking electronics—less than 40 lbs. They can be something with memory, old phones, old laptops, old computer towers, and flat screen televisions. There is a $10 fee for each plasma or flat screen, and no TVs with the big backs will be accepted,” said Peggy.
The Athens High School JROTC will be on hand to help, and so will ambassadors from Athens State University and Bank Independent, so let’s talk a bit about “Shred Day etiquette.” “We are asking that people limit themselves to three 13-gallon tall kitchen garbage bags, or three banker’s boxes,” said Peggy. They are not interested in bags that are so full that it takes more than one person to field the bags. Also, please stay in your car; this event is meant to be truly drive-thru. That is to ensure the safety of volunteers as well as those bringing their items to be shredded. To access the event on September 30,
you will enter the ASU parking lot on Hobbs Street in Athens, have your items processed in a quick and easy drive-through setup, and then exit out of the parking lot on the Pryor Street side.
This year several other organizations also stepped up as sponsors. They include Cook’s Pest Control, the City of Athens, and Quest for Mental Health.
There is also a food drive which is sponsored by Limestone County Churches Involved. Please bring non-perishable items.
See you on the September 30, and let’s get ready to shred!
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
