More than 85 area residents securely disposed of more than 3,100 pounds of unnecessary financial documents recently as a result of a Community Shred Day event hosted by South Division Credit Union.

The event was held in conjunction with the Evergreen Park Farmers Market.

Between 9:00 a.m. and noon that day, members of the community were invited to bring their no longer needed financial documents for safe disposal via a shredding truck.  Shredding was conducted immediately on-site by Shark Shredding.  Suggested items for shredding included tax records, pay stubs, bank statements, credit card statements, medical records, insurance records, utility and phone bills, warranties, and/or anything documentation that indicates personal information such as a signature, account number, social security number, password or pin number, medical or legal information, phone number, email address, name or address. 

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that nine million Americans are victims of identity theft each year, which is why South Division Credit Union chose to offer this service.  By destroying these personal financial documents, consumers can take a step toward protecting their identity, protect themselves from identity thieves who sort through trash for documents containing personal information, as well as clean out their home office at the same time.

“As a community partner, we feel it is vitally important to help consumers and prevent their personal information from reaching the wrong hands,” said Geraldine Burek, South Division Credit Union CEO. ”We had a great turnout and look forward to offering this service again next year at the request of the community.”

Credit unions are not-for-profit, democratically controlled, member-owned financial cooperatives that pool their members’ assets to provide low-cost loans and other services in the best interest of the members, not to earn shareholder profits.  Credit unions invest their earnings in helping members meet their financial goals.

Based in Evergreen Park, South Division Credit Union serves more than 8,000 members.  The credit union holds $55 million in assets and operates branches in Midlothian, the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center and Brother Rice High School.  Through offering checking and savings accounts, first mortgages and home equity lines of credit, new and used vehicles loans, signature loans, and VISA credit cards, the South Division Credit Union strives in its mission to be the next evolution in personal banking.  Find us today at http://www.sdcu.org.