Barbara Crewell understands it can be tricky keeping sensitive information secure.
Old documents such as financial records, medical paperwork or tax records can expose an individual’s personal information if it falls into the wrong hands.
Hoping to keep seniors in the community safe and their sensitive information protected, the Orange Blossom Gardens Lions Club recently hosted a free document shredding event at North Lake Presbyterian Church, 975 Rolling Acres Road, Lady Lake.Crewell, OBG Lions president, said hosting the event with the goal of protecting personal information is important now more than ever at the end of tax season.
“Now that Tax Day is over, many households are sorting through important financial documents,” she said. “I’m sure many people would bring their older tax forms and other recyclable papers, knowing that shredding is a great way to prevent your personal information from getting into the hands of criminals.”
Lions club member Joseph Saepia, of the Village of Silver Lake, spent more than an hour collecting bags and bins filled with paperwork to be shredded from people’s car.
Even before the event officially started, 10 boxes, seven large trash bags and one extra-large bin were piled next to the Shred-it by Stericycle truck by more than 15 community members.
As cars came through, Marge McHugh, of the Village of Palo Alto, passed out information cards about the OBG Lions club and glasses lens cleaning cloths.
Peggy and Larry Finkbeiner, of the Village of Monarch Grove, said they dropped off documents from when they were first married.
Across the nation, there were more than 201,000 senior who reported cases of fraud, including identity theft, leading to a loss of over $7.7 billion in 2025, according to the FBI.
Red flags of identity theft and cyber fraud include someone contacts you offering money or prizes for little to nothing, they request personal information, they tell you you must pay to get a gift or you must wire money or send gift cards.
Along with protecting sensitive information, Crewell explained a goal for the event is to help protect the environment, noting that recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees.
The OBG Lions event correlated with the international club’s pillar for the month of April — serving the environment.
“Shredding compacts paper waste and prepares it for recycling,” Crewell said. “Shredded paper can be processed into paper products, which reduces the number of trees that need to cut down for paper. Properly recycling paper protects natural resources, significantly cuts greenhouse gases, and reduces waste.”
Other pillars for the year, which were chosen by the Lions Club International president A.P. Singh — were mental health and well-being (humanitarian) for October and Hunger for January.
“OBG Lions set up a table with information that was focused on Mental Health & Well-Being at the Sheltering Hands Thrift Shop in Lady Lake in October,” Crewell said. “Residents were very appreciative for those resources, and several said they weren’t aware of the local organization called TLC, Transition Life Consultants, right here in The Villages.”
“The next pillar Singh chose was the Hunger Pillar,” she said. “OBG Lions did a monthlong food drive, our White Cane Day event at Winn Dixie and even had food donated at the Bob Johnson Driving Range, where we partner with American Legion Post 347 and the Town of Lady Lake to raise money that goes back into the community.”
Every Friday night the Lions and other members of the community gather at North Lake Presbyterian Church to play bingo for a few hours. Doors for the weekly Bingo Night open at 3 p.m., with the game starting at 5 p.m. Game pages start at $12 per person.
Crewell said not only does bingo bring the community together, it’s an opportunity to raise money for community needs, including helping purchase an 8-month-old service dog named Brody for Jim Jolly, a disabled merchant marine veteran.
During a recent bingo game, Jolly and now 13-month-old Brody were greeters.
Jolly, who recently became a member of the OBG Lions Club, said he has deeply enjoyed the companionship provided by Brody and is impressed with all of the community service orchestrated by the local Lions club.
“(Brody) helps me with my balance and soon he will learn how to pick up my cane or car keys if I drop them,” Jolly said.
Crewell said the weekly bingo games and the shredding event are examples of how the OBG Lions work with other entities to help the community.
“Lady Lake is truly blessed to have many nonprofits working together to help our residents,” Crewell said. “When two organizations come together or coordinate with the same goal, it’s a shared opportunity to increase the impact of benefiting the community.”
For more information about the OBG Lions, visit obglions.com or email info@obglions.com.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
