If you are receiving shopping via volunteers please can I request

[MatildaTheCat]

That you stick to essential items and keep them as non specific as possible. DH and I shopped for two vulnerable people this morning under an official scheme. Their requests included 1 litre gin (ok maybe essential), branded tonic, branded cleaning items, organic gala apples, rose and raspberry lemonade, non sweetened organic coconut milk and on and on.

I lost a lot of sleep last night worrying about the additional exposure to the public while searching for half this stuff. In fact we did get pretty much everything but had we been asked for ie large brown loaf, cheddar, packet of bacon, mince, frozen peas it would have been a lot less stressful. This is going to last some months for the most vulnerable, if you or your family are in that category please help by keeping it simple.

Thank you.

You're right, of course, about the temporary nature of the situation. At least I bloody hope so. However, my point about essentials being different for each household still stands. All volunteers are going to be asked to look for items they might not usually buy themselves, surely? I know I have, and I'm only shopping for family.

But if you are looking for thanks/reward then volunteering is not right for that person. Plus op is hardly a silent volunteer, due to letting mumsnet know all about it

Exactly, I'd help because I wanted to help. Not come onto MN complaining that they weren't sticking to essential items (she bought GIN! ) and had the audacity to specify what type of cheese or whatever they usually get.

This thread is truly bizarre.

We say thank you to people in the armed forces and they get paid. But say thank you to a volunteer or consider that they are making an effort for the common good and maybe even think about things from their perspective....no, god forbid doing anything like that...

I hope all of you who are criticising are out there doing your bit.

I'm with you op.

My inlaws are shielding as MIL has cancer. They have online deliveries lined up every week.

We are also staying at home due to DS having some health issues, he's at risk but not the highest category like MIL.

They were stressed and upset about shopping and getting food, i assured them that even though we weren't going to supermarkets as we had online deliveries booked if they were desperate for something I would take the risk myself and get it for them.

The other day they messaged us saying could we pick up some toasted tea cakes, bottles of beer and a Swiss roll.

I was like FFS I'll risk a bout of pneumonia for DS so you can have a Swiss roll.

I'm trying to be kind and say to myself they are detached from things and don't realise what is going on in supermarkets at the mo with the hit & miss stock levels.

wotcha what volunteering are you silently doing?

If I was asking volunteers I'd be very generic
Potatoes
Carrots
Any fruit you can get
Teabags
Etc
They are being very unreasonable.

I wouldn't ask for gin. Hardly essential.

I hope all of you who are criticising are out there doing your bit

I'm in several local volunteering groups and the minute I see something nearby I can help with I'll be helping, yes.

Couldn't agree with you more OP if it isn't for medical reasons then you shouldn't be fussy. We should only be shopping for essentials.Plus those moaning about the OP I hope you are all volunteering to criticise someone doing a fantastic thing.

I wouldn't ask for gin. Hardly essential

Not essential to you
It's not your shopping list, is it?
You're not shopping for you so why say that's not essential and you don't want to get it?
Just the same as coffee.
Can't stand the stuff - it's not essential, it's rank.
We can live without it. Therefore, not essential is it.

Well this thread has truly put me off.

Going wotcha enlighten us - what specifically? School governor? PTA? Run a choir? All these I do on top of working.

Note through the door this morning suggesting people do shopping as well as their jobs. Bit if this thread is a representative of the general public - no thanks.

If I was asking volunteers I'd be very generic

To be fair to the people I'm shopping for, they're doing this (with the exception of my mum!). This week's list from my next door neighbours is along the lines of:

Porridge oats
Milk
Cheddar cheese
Apples
Oranges (big or small)
Coffee
Plain biscuits

You're probably right autumn but it would be a refreshing change from all the virtue signal on public forums if someone posted a request like the OP

I'm shopping for other people and prefer them to be specific (makes it easier for me when choosing) but tolerate substitutions

OP, I know what you mean.

In my experience volunteering is quite thankless, I have done it (not doing so currently) and I know that:

• you'll get more criticism than thanks

people are picky and fussy and think what you do is not quite good enough -other people, from the sideline and without getting involved, will have grand plans on how you can do it better -people will say it is not enough and demand more -people will criticise criticise criticise -others will put you down for daring to complain

a bit like this thread

You are very kind to do this, but expect the above

anothernotherone: Therefore empowerment models have to be regarded as not necessarily applying to the specific situation of volunteers shopping for the temporarily shielding/ self isolating during the Corona pandemic.

But actually you can apply what you call an empowerment model in this situation. Lots of posters on this thread are already modelling it!

And that's just to talk to the person you're shopping for! Tell them how crazy the shops are now. Tell them that you're only going to Lidl, is there anything they want from there? Ask them what substitutes they prefer, and say you'll do your best from Lidl.

The recipient may still be frustrated – I'm sure all shoppers are right now. But it's sharing the decision-making. And the recipient will get to prioritise and say, "Actually I'm not too bothered about the Gala apples but the biscuits have to be dairy-free or they won't get eaten. If Lidl doesn't have, might you be going to Sainsbury's next time?"

As a PP did, channel "What would Winston Churchill do?"

Honestly, it's a lot easier when you feel you're part of a team, than when you feel you're being shat on because the other person can't be bothered.

Yanbu. We have been isolating and getting some deliveries. We ask for basics: milk, bread, eggs.

We have been eating bread brands we wouldn't usually, and eating the same things for 2 weeks.
Obviously people have special tastes/diets but the thought of someone risking increased unnecessary exposure for the sake of getting organic, freshly squeezed, grain fed etc. NO.
Just get in shop, get out, keep it as minimal as possible.
Have a huge indulgent feast when all this is over.

(I may currently be rather influenced by this former submarine captain talking about coping with confinement. Spot imminent conflict and head it off before it escalates, was one of his tips.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-hampshire-52085862/coronavirus-submarine-captain-s-advice-on-social-isolation)

You'd have to had been living under a rock for the past month to not know that stock levels have fallen in shops. It's been top news for weeks. You can still access news even if you're shielding.

I can totally see why people don't volunteer.

Plain biscuits

That would cause me so much time to work out. I do prefer some guidelines. What would you be imaging with that. 😀 so many options have gone through my mind.
I would be havering between crackers or rich tea. Both I like, but one sweet one savoury.

The whole set up of paying for it out of your own purse and then waiting for reimbursement, as in the set up in the OP, is just asking for people to decline payment if the shopping isn't exactly what they want, which it probably won't be in this time because stock levels are low.

YANBU

Someone showed me a shopping list of a relative - Vivaldi potatoes and (I kind you not) 'nice ham'.

The only bit that might appear unreasonable but actually be necessary is the gin. Lots of people going into DTs since the pubs shut so they may well need it to keep themselves out of hospital if they have a dependency.

thearch
I read it as the organising group would take the hit, and the volunteer gets their money. Still a difficult situation. This is why we need click and collect or delivery to be working better.

For 'plain biscuits', I'll try to get them something like rich tea and malted milk biscuits. They probably just don't want chocolate or cream biscuits, because they're easier to get wrong. I could always text them back if I really couldn't make a sensible decision I suppose.

I think stock levels must differ in different areas. When I go shopping, it's either feast or famine. All the biscuits you could want, but absolutely zilch in the soap aisle. Loads and loads of fancypants organic wholefoods, but if you want toilet roll be grateful for the odd pack of bamboo stuff. Dried goji berries are much easier to come by than tins of tuna. The 'essentials' are harder to shop for than the frills, meaning that communication is key. Two way communication.

So rather than texting back and forward it would be easier to be a bit more specific - if that makes sense.

Milk - if the shelves are full, i would like to know blue or green top.

I know you just threw together a hypothetical list, but it would be way to vague for me.