Donating food to the NHS - AIBU

[Helpthefoodbanks]

My social media feed locally is full of people donating food etc to the NHS staff. The latest one was 100 bags full to take up there from donations - which is deserved because the NHS are obviously working their backsides off and deserve the recognition.

However at the same time, the local food banks are crying out for donations. I took some stuff round the other day and they said they were running low and although people donated lots at the start of the pandemic it’s slowed in donations and they have so many more families to feed.

I know it shouldn’t be an either/or but AIBU to think that maybe donations of food/money may be better sent to help those struggling financially?

Fully accept some hospital staff may also be struggling financially but it just feels like people think they’ve done their bit by donating there when infact it’s not the place that needs it most? Definitely not bashing NHS, they don’t even ask for it - it’s all good Samaritans organising.

I agree. While working for the NHS must be brutal and emotionally and physically devastating (and I have friends who do, I used to) it is still working and people are more likely to be able to afford food. There are many people completely out of work. I wonder if it is that people want to demonstrate their gratitude and this is the only
Way they can?

Has anyone else seen initiatives to donate food to the NHS in their social media feed?? I haven't seen any.

I agree it's more about people understandably wanting to do something rather than the something being needed. It's hard hearing about a crisis while being expected to just sit at home and do nothing

In the first pandemic my friend said she had people using the free travel to go to work purely to bring home lots of food and stock the freezer as they had so much. Some were even people who WFH

That’s very strange. I understand the idea of people sending in cooked food sort of- although I’m sure a lot gets wasted. If they are sending in bags of groceries then I would hope the trust would politely decline and signpost the donors to an appropriate charity.

Whilst they're working very hard and putting their lives at increased risk, that doesn't mean NHS staff need financial support. Most have decent paid jobs with security, opportunity for overtime, sick pay etc.

If they are struggling then they can too visit a food bank.

Food donations should definitely be going to foodbanks. I think the NHS should be clear to people that these donations aren't needed and to redirect people to foodbanks instead.

I guess one of the problems is people like to think their donations are going to "deserving people". And sometimes there's a stigma around those on benefits etc compared to NHS staff

I can understand sending in a tin of biscuits to a ward or department if they have looked after you or your family but sending food parcels seems a bit insulting to me and a bit virtual signally.

I have never heard of people donating food parcels to NHS staff. I would not understand it if I did, they are all working people after all. I had to spent a lot of time in hospital last year, and whilst I admired the staff for carrying on through, they generally did not appear to be particularly over worked and definitely didn’t seem like they hadn’t eaten.

Do not donate food 'to the NHS'. What does that even mean? The NHS is a rambling organisation. That is just silly and most of it will be disposed of. NHS staff members aren't starving.

Give parcels to a food bank. It's a no-brainer.

NHS social worker here OP!
Yes, it’s fucking HORRENDOUS at the minute, I’m exhausted (and I’m not even at the main hospital, ITU etc) however, my trust give us free sandwiches at lunchtime anyway, and I’ve had a job and income all the way through the pandemic.
I don’t need foodbank parcels, if I did, I would go to a foodbank.

I think it’s a lovely thought, but I would rather it goes to all of those people really struggling financially.
I would also rather all of those generous people do not vote Tory next time so maybe the NHS would be paid fairly and the country wouldn’t be relying on foodbank s to feed their children.

While working for the NHS must be brutal and emotionally and physically devastating

Crikey, that's rather hyperbolic! I doubt it applies to the vast majority of NHS staff.

@DianaT1969 not on my social media but constantly on our local news programmes on tv and radio. I agree with the OP public sector workers are still being paid. They can buy their own food, there’s people who have been so negatively effected by this that they can’t. Our charity should be directed there.

If we want to support the NHS we should support nurses in campaigning for better pay and better protection from COVID whilst working. They don’t need a free muffin!

I have a few friends that work on a&e departments and while they have had lots of food sent in, it is more of the takeout/pizza/Sunday roast variety from local restaurants rather than food parcels. I think they would be absolutely mortified to receive the latter tbh.

In the first lockdown my local hospital was asking people to stop donating, the whole thing was ridiculous. The staff were donated literally hundreds of Easter eggs, they went to a food bank in the end.

Also work for the NHS! I don’t need donated food but others do! Donate it to the food bank every time to help those in need! So many people out of work and struggling so I’d rather it went there

Actually for those who are working and on low wage too!!

My local Facebook page is also regularly filled with the obligatory photo of people standing outside the local hospital/clinic etc handing over trays of food for the staff.
It does seem to be mostly companies doing it rather than private individuals as far as I can tell.

I do agree it should go to the food bank instead.

That’s the trouble with donations though, you can’t police where people donate to. I’m not really sure why people think the NHS workers have a need for, or time to organise, groceries but it’s just people trying to show their appreciation at the end of the day. If they don’t eat the donations they could always post on social media asking people not to or ask a food bank to come and collect the donations for redistribution (you can’t really expect NHS staff to deliver them as they’re busy enough!)

Has anyone else seen initiatives to donate food to the NHS in their social media feed?? I haven't seen any.

During the first lockdown our local hospital had to put a message out to stop
Donations as they were receiving so many cooked meals.. homemade cakes / buns etc. Oh and like Pp said also Easter eggs.

Now they seem to get donations more from restaurants like pizza etc.

There was definitely campaigning from the hospital friends group to get food supplies to the hospital "shop" which staff I presume either take from or make a small donation for.

I would also rather all of those generous people do not vote Tory next time so maybe the NHS would be paid fairly and the country wouldn’t be relying on foodbank s to feed their children.

This, exactly this. I thought it should be repeated!

If they are sending in bags of groceries then I would hope the trust would politely decline and signpost the donors to an appropriate charity.

Absolutely! No NHS organisation should be allowing this.

I have a real issue with donating food and essential items to anyone, including food banks. I thing the very existence of food banks in the UK brings shame on every single one of us. Poverty at that level should not exist is a supposedly rich country.

During the first lockdown as well there was a month or two where local residents were rallying round to bake for the local ICU, made me feel a bit uneasy that is was all homemade too. I was surprised they kept taking it, but the one of the ICU staff was collecting it from one of the bakers houses to take each week so it was obviously well received.

I voted YABU because my local food bank is not accepting foodstuffs right now. They actively don't want people turning up and dropping stuff.

What they do want is cold hard cash.

That's not social media friendly, no photo op. But so necessary.

I use the Ocado 'you give we give' scheme - so for every £5, they provide £10 of shopping to food bank.

It's the same here, very odd. People coordinating batches of cooked meals and cakes and then delivering to the hospital. Thankfully the food banks are still stocked and rejecting donations because they cannot hold anymore though, so at least that's something.

Since seeing the cakes being donated though myself and a few others came up with the idea of offering to donate cakes if anyone is struggling and has a child's birthday coming up, which to me if I say so myself is much more beneficial at the moment! Although thankfully for local children I just donate money as I can't bake for toffee! Also helps out the local cake makers who aren't having wedding bookings etc coming in and have the equipment and hygiene stuff in place.