County Shred-A-Thon helps residents protect personal information

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — A monthlong document shredding event aimed at preventing identity theft and Medicare fraud wrapped up Friday after serving hundreds of local residents.

The county’s “Shred-A-Thon” was funded through the North Carolina Department of Insurance and the Senior Medicare Patrol. The program provided residents with a secure way to dispose of sensitive personal documents.

Throughout the event, residents were allowed to drop off up to two boxes or paper bags of materials for shredding, including medical records, tax documents, and other personal paperwork.

Cully Shelton of the New Hanover County Senior Resource Center said the event drew strong participation from the community over the past month.

“By hosting these types of ‘Shred-a-thon’s’ throughout the past month of June, we were able to reach more than 700 individuals. We are hopeful that we can write the grant and have it again happening in the near future,” said Shelton.

Shelton said organizers hope to secure funding to continue the program in the future and that partnerships with contractors All-Ways Shred and JMT Services helped ensure all materials were shredded on-site.