Perhaps now more than ever, it's important to shield your personal information from potential identity thieves. The Rotary Club of Mount Joy wants to help you stay safe. The club will host a free shredding event on Saturday, April 2, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Milanof-Schock Library, 1184 Anderson Ferry Road, Mount Joy.

Although the event is free, cash donations will be accepted to support the library, said Rotary member Ron Carper. He noted that the club has been hosting the community shredding event for about five years. "It's community service, which is something that's important to our club, and there is a demand for this," he stated. "It's important to shred your financial information or other personal information rather than just throwing it out."

Last year, the club implemented a few rules for the event due to COVID, Carper said, and the rules worked so well, the group is keeping them in place again this year. Attendees are asked not get out of the car; instead, volunteers will unload the material to be shredded, all of which should be placed in the car's trunk. Attendees should place all material in a cardboard box or paper bag, and no plastic containers will be accepted. No boxes or other containers will be returned. Attendees may not wait or gather around the shred area after drop-off.

Carper noted that following the rules allows the process to run smoothly and in a time-efficient manner. "This event was very well attended last year, and people line up for it," he said. "It may look like a long line, but you'll get through it quickly. It goes fast."

The shredding event is just one of many community projects that the Rotary Club of Mount Joy holds throughout the year. "We are primarily a service club," Carper stated. "We provide financial support, and we lead initiatives and projects in Mount Joy. ... About once a month, we get together to do a mini project that takes maybe half an hour, like cleaning up around the town clock." The group undertakes bigger projects that can last for months or even years until completion, such as building the Kids Joy Land in Mount Joy Borough Park and establishing the 13-acre Rotary Park. The group also sponsors a local Boy Scout troop and supports community organizations such as Rainbow's End Youth Services.

"We are always looking for new members, people who are service-oriented," Carper said. "It's fun to get together to socialize, but we really stress the importance of community service. We're doing this to give back to the community."

For more information on the Rotary Club of Mount Joy, contact club president Len Nolt at mountjoypres@gmail.com.