Helping People Move Forward with Their Lives .
Helping People Move Forward with Their Lives .
improves the quality of life for themselves but also for their spouses , families and their communities . So , when you find that old instrument tucked away in the attic , contact Music for Veterans at : www . Music4Veterans . org or on facebook at : www . facebook . com / MusicForVetsErie
Pass It or Pitch it
While you are sorting through your belongings and deciding what to pass along to someone else and what to simply pitch , the Better Business Bureau offers some very important advice .
Shred it Goodbye
When tossing papers and files during spring cleaning , make sure any documents that contain personal information are disposed of with caution , so as not to put you at risk of identity theft .
Here are some guidelines as to what should be shredded before being tossed :
• Documents that include Social Security Numbers , birthdates , PINs , passwords .
• Banking documents and other financial information .
• Leases , contracts or letters that include signatures .
• Pre-approved credit card applications .
• Medical or dental bills .
• Travel itineraries .
• Used airline tickets .
Purge and Protect
Don ’ t forget to clean out your smartphones and computers as well . Deleting unused apps will help free up space and deleting any personal information will also prevent the likelihood of getting hacked or scammed . While you ’ re at it , download the latest software updates to help protect your devices from viruses and hackers .
Drop-Off Donation Dupe
When donating unwanted items to donation bins , examine the bins for a business or organization ’ s logo and contact information . Be wary of bins without any identifying information , as they may be fakes . When in doubt , donate items directly to a store or a verified drop-off site . Research organizations before donating . Legitimate charities will be transparent in explaining where and how your donation will be used .
Still Looking for a Place to Donate ?
Look no further …. Simply visit Eriedonations . com .
Millcreek resident Andrew Haverly , a Senior at Cathedral Prep , recently created a the Erie Donations website to help sort out all of the places that accept donated items . Haverly saw the need for such a website to exist when he and his family found it difficult to find an organization that would benefit from donations of gently used items . He also observed that people throw away items such as furniture or mattresses that they do not know what to do with and realized that there are many people in the Erie area who could greatly benefit from donations of gently used items . Eriedonations . com puts all the organizations on one website to make it easier for donors to find what organizations are in need of items that people wish to donate .
Contributors :
Shannon Wohlford , The Sight Center of Northwest Pennsylvania , 814.455.0995 , ext . 105
Teresa Martin , Embracing Our Veterans , 814.450.0622
Emily Kaminske , Rehab Director LECOM VNA , 814.454.2831
Vinnie Stefanelli , Music for Veterans , 814.873.4500
Pamela Marlowe , Better Business Bureau of Western PA , 877.267.5222
The Niagara Network is a group of business professionals affiliated with the human services industry . If you would like to join or find out more information about the group and its members , visit the Niagara Network ’ s web site at http :// www . NiagaraNetwork . net .
Millcreek | Spring 2017 | icmags . com 63