Food bank Fussiness

[VeronicaFranklin]

I volunteer at a local food bank on a Saturday morning, recently due to cost of living we've had more and more people using it.

All sorts of people, some working families, some exclusively on benefits, some elderly, retired due to ill health and some homeless / alcohol/ drug addiction. There really is no face to food poverty and it's very sad to see so many people struggling to feed themselves and their families. I feel glad there are places people can turn to if they need help...

However...

We give people a sheet when they arrive, they tick a number of items (depending on if they are a family/couple/single person) they wish to have, I go off to pack up their items.

More recently I've had people complain if they wanted something we had a previous week but don't have this week, i.e. requesting Frosties and we only have Cornflakes, or Semi skimmed milk but we only have skimmed. One lady said to me on Sat when I didn't have the soup she liked ' well it just isn't good enough'...

Also people arguing with us if say someone has received a certain brand (donated) and they haven't. For example someone got 'Asda's own washing up liquid and saw someone had got 'Fairy' brand washing up liquid and started complaining it wasn't fair...

I just feel really disappointed. Everyone is entitled to help and most people are very thankful but we rely solely on donations and charity surplus to run the food bank, many of the volunteers give up their time to help even when their circumstances aren't much better than those using the food bank and we often buy items to bring to cover the shortfall in donations especially toiletries such as sanitary towels and toothpaste, but I can't help feeling recently like people are being ungrateful.

Is it unreasonable if you're getting something for free to feel you're entitled to complain? How would you handle it?

It's an age old debate, is it not? To what extent (if any) it is reasonable to expect gratitude in return for kindness. And does expecting it in some way diminish the kindness because, after all, it IS something in return?

I don't know the answer - but if it helps, OP: people have been philosophising about this for centuries.

Honestly the people telling the PP she shouldn’t be volunteering live in cloud cookoo land. Yes she needs a bit of awareness training, but she’s interested enough in helping that she’s doing some useful volunteering. That’s more than most.

It’s a good thing you lot aren’t in charge of running businesses or services. No employee is 100%, the country would collapse if we didn’t work with people’s strong points.

Don’t take it to heart @VeronicaFranklin

Exactly. Ignore it. It’s just a wind up to fire up the thread.

You would deny someone something they need because they asked for frosties?!
You sound like a sociopath, I hope you don't work in a care giving role.

plenty of people find saying Thank you, difficult
let alone the atmosphere of being in a Food bank
it is just a front, an armour, that people wear

Wise up. Did you actually read the thread?

You are so needed! I used to work in social housing, and expensive debt was one of the things most likely to put a household into poverty.

@Pawpatrollermum are you not just given a log in so that you can issue food bank vouchers yourself?
Ask your organisation if this can be set up if not.

I gave up volunteering a few weeks back because of this. I have done it for many years but finally giving up Saturday morning with my own family to be talked to like shit just wasn't worth it any more. I get that people have brands and items they enjoy, I really do. But shouting at a volunteer because you don't like x brand of pasta or that you wanted y and so can shove the rest up your arse surely still isn't acceptable. Lots are having to cut their cloth accordingly, certainly we are using more own brands than we used to. I absolutely don't agree that people should be grateful for what they receive, but similarly if people don't donate x, y or z then we simply don't have it. We have worked hard to increase awareness of the food bank and have done fundraising events etc in order to buy selection boxes and stuff for Christmas; but I think at some point people need to realise its a free service run by volunteers and there are limitations to it. Ire should be directed to the government for forcing people into positions where they have to use them.

I don’t blame you for feeling this way OP, I would feel much the same in the circumstances. It does make you wonder, if people have a genuine need when they behave this way, a bit of gratitude goes a long way. But I do think in this day & age it’s a disgrace that foodbanks are even necessary. Thank you for the work you do OP

I love the way all the sanctimonious twunts are lining up to virtue signal how very empathetic and caring they are, whilst showing their complete lack of empathy by being deliberately rude and unkind to the OP who, unlike them, actually gives up her free time to help people.

I would remind them that your not tesco/Asda!if you are truly in a place that you need to use a food bank you don't care what food your given. Any food is a bonus.

Actually, you're wrong. I've met literally thousands of volunteers over the years, and the vast majority have the intelligence not to go round spouting off opinions that have the potential to threaten donations to the charity.
Any that came to light should be dealt with fairly swiftly, as any benefit they bring is offset by the harm. Its nothing to do with being sanctimonious, it's simple pragmatism.

Don't agree they should be grateful for what they receive regardless of whether its a pile of crap or not that should say.

hopefully those that actually do donate to the foodbank will not pay attention to these experiences of volunteers, they wont read this thread or other comments in certain newspapers and carry on donating.

There’s a difference between being an angel and being professional in your approach.

I very much doubt people who spend their own money on buying food for people they don't know will be swayed into not donating because a volunteer has opened up about their experience. I still donate even though I know how horrible it can be for those who give their own time to help.

Entitlement pisses me off, I'm not going to lie. I only have a finite amount of emotional energy and I'd rather spend on people who are pleasant. They wouldn't have to bow and scrape or be everso grateful. Just not fucking rude would be fine.

I've also worked with people on their uppers, scared and frightened. It's not necessary to be arsey to get out of it. Although I do admire people like Mrs Pratchett who can keep serene. I'm just not sure that encouragement to think everything will be given to you is the best way forward. Although I do agree we should all be able to have food and accommodation.

And no this post wouldn't make me consider not donating. I wouldn't stop because there are a few difficult, entitled people like you get in all sections of society.

mrsm43s · Today 09:04
I love the way all the sanctimonious twunts are lining up to virtue signal how very empathetic and caring they are, whilst showing their complete lack of empathy by being deliberately rude and unkind to the OP who, unlike them, actually gives up her free time to help people.

What nonsense, many of the people who’ve commented have stated they volunteer.
I’m sure the Op does not want to put people off making donations but that is a natural consequence of a thread like this.

I cannot believe how far society has gone in the direction of rude. It's not about not complaining but saying you want x brand and feeling entitled to it.

In this country it always surprises me how happy people are in the U.K. to tell others that if they dare earn above the average salary they should be over the moon because if a poorer person earned that they'd be loaded and never complain about the cost of living, when in reality people who earn an ok salary not because they spend more on having nicer things, like fairy liquid instead of own brand, but when a poor person wants an expensive brand for free at a food bank that's acceptable to complain about. This country is such a joke sometimes.

I don't know a good way to handle your situation OP. I have worked in comparable paid roles over the years and honestly I have just come to accept that there are some rude and ungrateful people.

I don't understand the point of view of those berating the OP. She is giving up her own time and doing her best. It is hard working with the public when your best isn't good enough. No one likes to feel like they are not appreciated.

If you went into a supermarket and the usual brand you buy wasn't available you wouldn't find a worker to tell them it wasn't good enough. For years I was on a very tight budget and if the cheapest pasta wasn't available I couldn't afford the next up. Yes it is stressful but being polite and respectful to the staff isn't optional.

No excuses for being rude, but I know that's how I would be seen if I ever needed a food bank. I have allergies that mean I can only eat certain brands of a lot of foods, sometimes even different flavours of the same foods.

I have to spend ages scrutinising labels when I go shopping and would have to do the same at a food bank. I would be handing back most brands of beans because so far I've only found heinz (and not the low sugar version) that won't send me into anaphylaxis. Ditto branded cheerios are ok but some own brands not.

Put up a poster saying that you rely on donations and stock is variable and you will try your best to accommodate preferences.
it is really shit though that people are using food banks. People should have enough for food.

People like @VeronicaFranklin (and I suspect there are many such volunteering at food banks) are the reason why, however skint I get, I would rather take food from skips or shoplift than ask at a food bank for help.