By Brenda Gibson
Tax-time. Ugh!
As a business owner of a client-facing service practice, tax time is my least favourite time of the year. What a painful and involved process!
My accountant is terrific, so of course she’d handle all the ‘ugly’ work if I let her, but in some weird way, I feel as though that step is my penance.
And I’m frugal.
So, for what feels like an eternity, I drown in receipts from 2015 as I reconcile how much I’ve spent attracting, connecting and building my community of clients with my income.
Once everything is safely gathered and delivered to my accountant, I’m free to revisit my ‘Taxes’ file in the cabinet with a lighter heart, proud of all I’ve achieved. There, I see all my previous years’ packets of paperwork lined up in a tidy little row. I’m finally free to shred 2009!
However, in this day and age, with identity theft horror stories abounding, I find myself wondering what’s the best way to safely dispose of these documents?
Rotary Club of South Surrey to the rescue!
Just in time for post-tax time and spring cleaning, the club will be once again be hosting “Shred-It.” Set for Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Ocean Park Safeway (128 Street and 16 Avenue), the shredathon provides safe on-site document shredding service to all by donation.
Whether it’s small business documents or personal papers that need to be safely disposed of, the mobile on-site shredding truck is equipped with the cutting-edge proprietary paper-shredding technology to handle the job. Proceeds of this timely and valuable fundraiser will be directed to Pacific Assistance Dog Society (PADS) to aid in procuring a Canine Assisted Intervention (CAI) dog for Sophie’s Place in Surrey.
PADS breeds, raises, trains and supports certified assistance dogs, partnering them with people living with disabilities, and with community care professionals.
As a past PADS puppy-raiser, this organization is near and dear to my heart. Intervention dogs are meant to assist community care professionals where there would be physical, social or emotional improvement with the addition of a dog and its specially trained dog-handler team.
Sophie’s Place is a child-advocacy centre focused on providing specialized services to physically, mentally and sexually abused children.
Your support gives you the opportunity to participate in the safeguarding of children.
“It’s really important that kids can have a place to go where they can be taken seriously, and where they can express what’s happened to them in a safe environment,” says Sophie Tweed-Simmons, the centre’s patron and namesake.
So, please, gather up your documents and prepare to join us on June 11 to gain peace of mind and warm fuzzies in your heart as you safely dispose of your confidential documents and support this unique cause.
Brenda Gibson writes monthly on behalf of the Semiahmoo Peninsula’s five Rotary Clubs – brenda_gibson@shaw.ca
