Current Thinking

Getting Our Hands Dirty

A blog by John Pinto, Presdent & CEO – June 9, 2014

It was not a typical day for retirement plan professionals, but it was certainly memorable.

On May 15, 2014, I had the pleasure of joining 15 of our passionate employees from our White Plains headquarters to clean gardens, dig in the dirt to plant flowers, and create crossword puzzle white boards. This was one of the most productive and fulfilling days – personally and professionally — we agree we’ve all had in a long time, and I guarantee that we will be doing it again soon!

We spent the day volunteering at My Second Home of Family Services of Westchester in Mount Kisco, NY. Not only did it do us good physically and emotionally to help out, but it also inspired us. My Second Home is a remarkable place. Its unique intergenerational day program — the only one of its kind in Westchester County — is a model for the nation. Their program brings together older adults and children on a daily basis to share activities as well as life experiences. By blending activities for adults and children, both age groups acquire an understanding of shared values and respect for individuals at every stage of life. We are honored to help them and hope to do it again!

Like the credit unions that we serve, volunteering helps us connect with our community. We encourage our staff to make a positive difference in our community in many ways—whether by making contributions or donating their time to local non-profit organizations. Seeing my staff bonding over hard work and volunteering their time together to work as a team for something deeply important to the community was heartwarming. When you take people away from the office and give them something worthwhile to do, it builds relationships on so many levels.

I encourage other CEOs to take the time to get outside with their team, volunteer and give back to the community. It is a win win!