AG’s Shred-A-Thon fights identity theft, boosts Community Food bank

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There was an unusual amount of traffic coming in and out of the Johnston Senior Center’s front parking lot last Wednesday morning.

Drivers pulled up and unloaded boxes and bags containing everything from personal papers to a variety of non-perishable foods. And people like Phyllis Ferreira did so with wide smiles on their faces.

“Every little bit helps,” Ferreira told Emily Martineau while handing her a huge cardboard box that contained all sorts of canned goods. “People have to eat. That’s why I’m here today.”

And that’s just one reason why Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin is holding a total of 10 free Shred-A-Thons – which will wind up tomorrow at the Lincoln Senior Center – as way to help fight identity theft and boost the Rhode Community Food Bank.

For inside of two hours last Wednesday morning, Kilmartin invited consumers to come to the senior center and drop off up to two “bankers boxes” of documents to be shredded for free.

The event was co-sponsored by Kilmartin and Doc Shredding Corporation of Massachusetts. The attorney general also asked residents to bring along a non-perishable food item.

“We’ve collected a variety of non-perishable foods this morning,” said Martineau, an assistant public information officer who was one of three staffers from Kilmartin’s office at the Johnston event. “What’s impressive is that people are coming from all over the state.”

Take Ferreira and Tom Assis, for example.

“I drove here from Burrillville,” Ferreira told Martineau when she unloaded her generous donation of canned goods.

“This is such a great service,” added Assis, who came from Burrillville to have several bags of personal papers shredded.

“One of the easiest ways to prevent identity theft is by shredding documents that contain personal information, such as bank statements, bills and credit card offers,” Martineau said.

Also taking part in the unique program were Maria Pagliaro and Susan Kelley, who serve as investigators with the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Unit and, Brian W. Johnson who owns and operates Doc Shredding Corporation of Wrentham, Mass.

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