Altoona Times

Area residents in Altoona are being urged to take part in the annual "Shredding with Schmitt" event, organized by Representative Lou Schmitt. This initiative provides a free opportunity for individuals to securely dispose of unwanted documents containing sensitive personal information.

The event is scheduled to take place at Peoples Natural Gas Field, also known as Curve Stadium, on Wednesday, October 11, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Rep. Schmitt emphasizes the importance of shredding documents that contain details like full names, addresses, bank account numbers, and Social Security numbers as a measure against identity theft.

According to statistics, over 50,000 cases of identity theft are reported annually in the United States. Despite these figures, many incidents remain unreported. "Destroying unwanted documents is not only a great way to clean house but also ensures documents containing personal information don’t fall into the wrong hands," stated Schmitt. He further added that taking preventative steps such as document destruction helps mitigate the risk of identity theft.

Participants are requested to bring their papers and documents without any bindings; items such as magazines and books will not be accepted. The event is intended for individual residents only and businesses are asked not to participate.

Additionally, donations for the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society will be collected during the event.