Citizens Bank does its part for Hunger Action Month

Citizens Bank does its part for Hunger Action Month

Hunger exists in every community in the country, affecting nearly 50 million Americans, including 16 million children. That translates to 1 out of 7 people in the U.S., meaning we all likely know several people who struggle to find food for their family.

Households with children experience food insecurity at a significantly higher rate than those without. Food insecurity can be particularly devastating among children, impacting their ability to learn, grow and thrive.

September is Hunger Action Month, an opportunity to join a movement that has a real and lasting impact in reducing food insecurity among our most vulnerable. At Citizens Bank, we lead a year-round effort to help feed the hungry in the communities we serve.

In 2016, through contributions to local food banks and other food programs, we’re donating 3.3 million meals across our footprint. In addition, our colleagues volunteer throughout Ohio, and we’re leveraging social media to give our followers information on how they can join the fight.

Let this Hunger Action Month start an ongoing and long-term commitment to end hunger. Together, we can make a difference for so many in need.

Joe DiRocco, Copley

Joe DiRocco is president of Citizens Bank, Ohio.

Columnist stokes strife between worker groups

I felt compelled to write in response to Bertram de Souza’s column titled, “Secrecy shrouds public pensions,” published on Vindy.com last Sunday. He claims that taxpayers have a right to know the amount of a public-sector retiree’s pension and the amount a public-sector employer has contributed toward that pension. Specifically, he states, “We, the private- sector taxpayers, contribute toward the pensions of government employees and others, and yet we are prohibited by law from knowing how much the retirees are receiving.”

Our state retirement systems are not identical to public- sector entities such as state, county and local agencies in that all their expenses are or should be public record. The Ohio Public Employee Retirement System and the other four retirement systems in the state were created to benefit their members. Once an employer makes a payment to one of the systems on behalf of a public- sector employee, it immediately becomes the property of the member and is no longer a “taxpayer contribution.”

For example, let’s say The Vindicator contributes a portion of an employee’s salary to a self-directed IRA, 401(k) or other comparable retirement account. Does anyone, including The Vindicator, have a right to know how that money is being invested by the employee or how much that employee will earn in retirement? No!

OPERS provides a wealth of information on how the system operates and its overall financial health. I commend OPERS officials for the manner in which they manage the pension system on behalf of their members. The OPERS board and staff do a great job of overseeing the funds and unlike public pension systems in states such as Kentucky, Illinois and elsewhere that are in serious financial shape, we can rest assured that our flagship public pension system is in good financial health, an outcome that benefits all Ohioans.

Mr. de Souza, please do not pit private-sector taxpayers against the more than 1 million OPERS members. They pay taxes, too.

Geoff Hetrick, Westerville

Geoff Hetrick is president and chief executive officer of Public Employees Retirement, Inc.