Credit Union ONE brings Shred Day Downriver

Credit Union ONE members, including Derrick Ramsey of
Woodhaven, brought more than 3,500 pounds of paper
to dispose of at the branch. 

To help members safely dispose of confidential information, Credit Union ONE hosted a document shredding day at their Woodhaven branch on Saturday, October 24, 2015. More than 3,500 pounds of confidential personal and business documents were shredded and $238 in donations were collected for the Beaumont Children’s Miracle Network during the three-hour event.

The credit union hosts free document shred days throughout the year to encourage awareness and help members securely destroy confidential material to deter potential identity theft and fraud. Documents containing social security numbers, addresses, account information, financial records, or other personal data can be stolen and used fraudulently to open lines of credit or falsify an identity.

“Identity theft is a very real threat, and we try to help our members be proactive in safeguarding their information,” John Kozich, Vice President of Community Relations for Credit Union ONE said, “Providing a free shred day is a safe and convenient way to dispose of sensitive materials and we’re happy to offer this service to our community.”

Members, including Susan Clark of Riverview, could bring up to four
boxes of paper to safely discard at the event.  

This event marked the first shredding day at the credit union’s Woodhaven branch, located Downriver, since the merging of Credit Union ONE with Good Shepherd Credit Union on July 1, 2015.

“It’s a priority for me to have my sensitive documents be discarded in a secure manner,” Credit Union ONE member Derrick Ramsey said. “I’m thankful Credit Union ONE provides this service.”

Shredding services and equipment were provided by Shred Corp., an industry-leading shredding company specializing in the protection of information related to business, financial, medical and legal fields. 

Community “Shred Day” hosted by Credit Union ONE

Credit Union ONE member Gwen Zielinski unloads her car and prepares

to have her documents shredded at Community Shred Day

Ferndale, Michigan – Credit Union ONE hosted a “Shred Day” at its’ Macomb Branch on Saturday, October 22, 2011. Approximately 300 people turned out to protect themselves from identity theft and fraud by shredding more than three tons of confidential personal and business documents.

Important information, such as social security numbers, addresses, account information, financial records or personal data, can be stolen and used to open lines of credit, charge existing credit cards or falsify personal information. Shredding documents that contain private information can protect individuals and businesses from fraudulent use of confidential data.

“Every year several million people are victims of identity theft. The shredding event was created to raise awareness about the risks of identity theft and fraud, and to provide a safe and convenient way to dispose of unneeded paperwork," said John Kozich, Executive Director of Community Relations for Credit Union ONE. "We saw many of our members today, but also several people from the community attended."

Kozich coordinated the three hour event, working closely with Bill Becker, Co-Owner of Shred Corp., the industry-leading company that donated their time and equipment to provide secure onsite shredding services. "The purpose of this event was to inform people about the importance of disposing documents that contain important personal information like social security numbers or account information," said Becker. "If you throw that sort of information into the trash can, people can actually use it to steal your identity, and we want to help prevent that from happening."

After the event, the shredded paper waste was taken away for recycling into paper towel. Upcoming Shred Day events are scheduled for other Credit Union ONE branches in the spring of 2012.

Credit Union ONE, headquartered in Ferndale Michigan for over seventy years, offers a wide array of financial services and access to over 28,000 ATM’s nationwide, serving 106,000 members, with nineteen offices in three major metropolitan areas, including Metro Detroit, Grand Rapids and Traverse City. For more information go to http://www.cuone.org/

Contact Judi Desilets, Director of Public Relations for Credit Union ONE, 248-584-5224, Judi_Desilets@cuone.org