Photo by Amanda Muschlitz After shredding, the paper is loaded into a compactor where it later is baled. Anthony Granata prepares metal wires to tie the shredded baled.

The whirl of an enormous paper shredder fills the room as “Nini” Granata sorts through boxes of old medical records brought to him by the dozen. As he dumps a box of shredded paper into a compactor comparable in size, he takes a break from the process that all began with the dusty and unwanted documents thrown into the trash by Mercy Hospital of Tiffin. Anthony “Nini” Granata, 75, of Tiffin, has worked as a volunteer at Mercy for 16 years and said he started with Meals on Wheels before moving to the back room of the hospital. “This came up, and I’ve been doing this ever since,” Granata said. “It’s a very interesting job.” Also a trustee for the AMVETS and a retiree from Whirlpool in Clyde, Granata said he always has had ties with Mercy Hospital. “My brother and mother were involved with Mercy Hospital a number of years ago,” he said. Although the job entails handling bales weighing more than 300 pounds, Granata said he enjoys the challenge and the workou.