Sheehan to Host Mokena Shred Event and Food Drive on October 3 (Mokena, IL) — State Rep. Patrick Sheehan will join local officials and community organizations next month for a free document-shredding event and food drive aimed at giving Mokena-area residents an opportunity to protect sensitive information while supporting families experiencing food insecurity.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Mokena Front Street Metra Lot. Sheehan will co-host the event with Will County Board Member Jim Richmond and Mokena Mayor George Metanias.
Residents attending the event can bring unwanted documents containing personal or financial information for secure shredding at no charge. Each vehicle will be permitted to bring up to two boxes of documents. Shredding will continue until the truck reaches capacity.
The event provides residents with a convenient way to dispose of paperwork that might otherwise be placed in household trash or recycling. Documents containing Social Security numbers, bank or credit card information, medical records, account numbers and other identifying information can create privacy and identity-theft concerns if they are not discarded properly.
Sheehan said the event is intended to combine that practical service with an opportunity for residents to assist local families.
“This is a great opportunity for residents to safely dispose of sensitive documents while also supporting families in our community,” Sheehan said. “I’m grateful to everyone helping make this event possible, and I hope to see a strong turnout.”
In addition to bringing documents for shredding, residents are encouraged to donate nonperishable food items to the Frankfort Township Food Pantry. The pantry serves residents in need and relies in part on community donations to maintain supplies for families seeking assistance.
The food drive adds a second community-service component to an event that otherwise focuses on document disposal. Organizers are encouraging residents to use the opportunity to clean out old paperwork while also contributing items that can help stock local food pantry shelves.
Several Mokena-area organizations will participate in the event by collecting additional items.
The Mokena Lions Club will collect used eyeglasses from residents. Lions Clubs have long operated programs focused on collecting donated eyeglasses and helping expand access to vision services. Residents who have unused prescription eyeglasses may bring them to the event for collection.
Mokena VFW Post 725 will also be on hand to collect American flags. Residents with worn, damaged or otherwise unusable U.S. flags can bring them to the event rather than disposing of them through ordinary household waste.
The involvement of the Lions Club and VFW gives residents an opportunity to address several types of household items at once while supporting local organizations and community programs.
For Sheehan, the event is part of his broader effort to maintain a visible presence in the communities represented by the 37th District. Community events such as shredding drives and food collections also provide elected officials with an opportunity to interact directly with constituents outside of the legislative session.
The event comes at a time when identity protection remains an important consideration for consumers and households. Americans routinely receive and retain large quantities of paperwork containing personal information, including financial statements, insurance documents, tax records and other correspondence. While many records can eventually be discarded, simply placing sensitive documents in a trash bin can leave information vulnerable to unauthorized access.
Secure shredding provides an alternative by destroying documents so that the information is substantially more difficult to recover. Community shredding events can be particularly useful for residents who have accumulated years of paperwork but do not have access to a personal shredder capable of handling large quantities of documents.
Residents planning to attend the Mokena event should also be mindful of the two-box-per-vehicle limit. Organizers will accept documents until the shredding truck is full.
The food donation portion of the event is not subject to the document limit. Residents are encouraged to bring appropriate food donations for the Frankfort Township Food Pantry when they arrive.
Sheehan, a Republican, represents Illinois’ 37th House District. His district includes communities in the southwest suburbs, and he has used constituent events to connect residents with local services and community organizations.
The October 3 event will be held at the Mokena Front Street Metra Lot from 9 to 11 a.m. Residents who want to participate can bring up to two boxes of documents per vehicle for secure shredding, along with food donations for the Frankfort Township Food Pantry. Used eyeglasses can be donated to the Mokena Lions Club, while worn American flags can be brought for collection by Mokena VFW Post 725.
The event is being presented as a free community service, with residents able to participate in the shredding portion without paying a fee. Organizers are encouraging residents to take advantage of the event while supplies and truck capacity remain available.
Sheehan to Host Mokena Shred Event and Food Drive on October 3
