'Aid' lorries going to Ukraine...

[Blurp]

My Facebook timeline is suddenly full of requests from people who are filling lorries full of things to take to Ukraine - they're asking for donations of things like clothes, toiletries and food.

None of them seem to mention the name of a charity or any specifics - mostly it comes across as though some random bloke is just going to fill his lorry with stuff and drive it "to Ukraine".

At first I thought it was a great idea, but the more I read the more I'm questioning it. Not that I think the people doing it are dodgy or anything like that, more that I'm not sure how useful it would be.

Like, do they really need lorries turning up all over the place with random stuff inside? I've no doubt that much of the stuff would be useful, but how do they even start to sort through it and match it to people who need it? Where do they even go to drop it off - do they just pick a random road on the border and park there and give it out? I've seen a few people asking questions like this on the posts, but they tend to get ignored or shouted down.

As far as I'm aware, there are no issues with supply of goods to countries bordering Ukraine, so isn't it better to donate money to organisations already on the ground so that they can bulk buy what they need?

Again, I'm not knocking the people who organise these lorries or the people who donate to them; I'm just wondering how useful it really is.

I guess if you have used but usable supplies, and a trusted community group to get them there, it's not the most efficient way of getting aid there, but unlikely to do any harm.
I support the message by PPs that money will buy more in poland & other nearby countries, and in addition, support the local economy, and the buying power of large aid charities will bring economies of scale - giving cash to reputable charities not dodgy gofundme pages is likely to be far more effective.
donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal

Who is going to send £3 to the Red Cross?

Why not, if that's what you can afford? If every family in a school or church, or every person in a workplace, each gives £3, that's a respectable sum of money which could go quite a long way in the area where it's needed, and save on the cost of transporting goods across Europe.

@inappropriateraspberry
It’s in Poland on the border. One of the many many warehouses that are supporting the Ukrainians.

There’s distribution centres across Poland not just on the borders. As the Ukrainians are being put up in different places.

I believed they expect 4-7 million to leave Ukraine.

@LouisRenault

Who is going to send £3 to the Red Cross?

Why not, if that's what you can afford? If every family in a school or church, or every person in a workplace, each gives £3, that's a respectable sum of money which could go quite a long way in the area where it's needed, and save on the cost of transporting goods across Europe.

100%.

As it stands we have requests from 3 schools and one church to donate clothes, bandages, paracetamol, Calpol, wound dressing, nappies (no size mentioned) and pads. If all the schools in the count collect this donation jumble, how is it ever going to reach the right people

I duly went and tried to buy Calpol and no shop around us has any Calpol left as it has all been bought up to send to Poland. It's bonkers.

Our local organisations have had to close their doors to new donations and appeal for lorry drivers to take them over - they've been absolutely inundated with second hand goods but no-one available to drive them to Poland and back. Given we already have heavy goods lorry driver shortages I'm not confident all of it will make it there in time - I've made a direct cash donation this morning to a Polish aid organisation instead.

I would say at least 50% of it is not going to be useful. They need money, coats, trainers, bags, outdoor gear, appropriate weather material clothes i.e. not wool and cotton, sleeping bags etc. Not things made of wool, or second-hand knickers, or flared jeans.

@Evenstar

Our local hub has supplies going to Poland, they have issued a very sensible list with nappies, baby supplies and first aid stuff. The drivers are members of the local Polish community and they have done similar runs before and say it is faster than the big agencies. They are sorting it all and packing into labelled boxes. I have donated to Save The Children, but I have my car boot full of supplies for the hub too.

That's so unhelpful. A cynic might think disaster tourism

@Evenstar sorry, I misquoted you! I had meant to include another post where some guy just packs his van with sleeping bags with no plan heading to Poland.

I agree with plantastic. I also work in this sector and have done for 20 years, including in previous conflicts in Europe. No-one who is knowledgable in this area will ever recommend delivering assistance by collecting donations in the UK and driving a van/convoy/whatever to the location.

A friend of mine has just had a go at me - a friend of a friend is filling a van with stuff and driving it to Poland (I'm in Central Europe so it's not that far). She knows I have bought a new winter sleeping bag for a particular purpose. She asked me for the old one and was outraged when I said I wouldn't be donating it as it is a summer sleeping bag which I use for a different purpose. I'm not giving a sleeping bag like that away to some random Stefan with a van when I actually need it, it was very expensive in the first place and I have no idea whether it will end up getting through to someone in need or whether it will end up in a heap with a whole load of other stuff.
I'm donating money to a couple of local organizations who can use it to purchase what ever is appropriate.
But I'm feeling pretty awful now because she had such a go at me about it. I can see her point in that I now have two sleeping bags and an Ukrainian has none but I can donate money which can be used to purchase probably 3 or 4 sleeping bags instead.

“I find it depressing that whenever people opt to do something humanitarian someone has to piss on it. This has always happened in wars - we have a relative who did similar collections during WW2. I have no idea if people were snipey about it then too, but what they did was a good thing.“

My sentiments exactly. Go and ask the organisers if you think you can do it better, pop along show your support, give to Red Cross.

@forinborin 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻@Rubyupbeat
Amazing. Thank goodness for people like you who actually get up and do something. Truly 🏆

Sending used clothes is a waste of time. I sort out used clothes for a charity and a lot of it is disgusting to be honest, people use it to not fill up their bin. Then it’s going to have to be paid to dispose of by somebody. Loads of people near me are still collecting used clothes though.

@LouisRenault

Who is going to send £3 to the Red Cross?

Why not, if that's what you can afford? If every family in a school or church, or every person in a workplace, each gives £3, that's a respectable sum of money which could go quite a long way in the area where it's needed, and save on the cost of transporting goods across Europe.

£3 is £3, if everyone did that 👏🏻

@4thtimethecharm

If you want to help, go to the website of the Ukrainian Center London. They have a good list of local initiatives, mostly humanitarian, some journalistic and military. These are predominantly Ukrainian-run, meaning they set the priorities and have lower overheads (a big problem in the humanitarian/aid sector). Donating to the Red Cross means a big part goes lost on absolutely huge overheads, same with UN organisations. However, as soon as cities are properly besieged and the Red Cross are likely to be the only ones allowed to offer relief, that becomes a good option. This is at least how I am doing it.

100% this! We are donating to our friend who is Ukrainian. Their church is then driving supplies out every few days. Their list of needs has been very specific. And it absolutely will get to where it needs to go because our friends family members are living this hell right now and my friend can't stop crying for her parents and sister who refuse to leave their 19 year old son/grandson behind.

Sending used clothes is a waste of time. I sort out used clothes for a charity and a lot of it is disgusting to be honest, people use it to not fill up their bin

So possibly a better use for the clothes is to sell it straight to one of those collect by weight places and send the cash.

Back to Blue Peter appeals and using jumble sales etc here to raise cash.

Every time I see this sort of ting, be it for Ukraine/Syria/Afganistan/the tower that burned down I always wonder if all of that is going to be of any use or just tat that people want to get rid of -or cheap crap that noone really really needs-

Just seen on an "English Speakers" group for the city I am based in someone saying my hubby has just collected 13 Ukrainians from the border and will be driving back with them. They'll be arriving tomorrow night. Please phone this number if you can offer them a place to stay.

The government here is already saying not to do this as things need to be organized centrally. Places are being organized where Ukrainians can arrive, be issued with a social security number for this country, which gives them access to health care and also a temporary resident permit so they can also work. People who have rooms to offer are supposed to do this through a central service.

But instead of this we've got "My hubby has just picked up 13 people from the border". I know they are trying to help but it will be utter chaos if you've got random people going and picking people up from the border and bringing them to random people in our city and on the other hand lots of random people filling vans with donations and driving them to some unspecified place in Poland.

I find it depressing that whenever people opt to do something humanitarian someone has to piss on it

Someone driving what will possibly be useless items with no plan on how to do it isn't overly humanitarian. There are plenty of coordinated efforts who know what's needed and has a logistical plan. To be honest wouldn't surprise me if some of the random people offering to do it on social media are going to filter through the stuff first, how would you know? No doubt lots are well intentioned but it's not always needed. My friend volunteers for a womens refuge and they kindly receive a lot of donations, but also plenty of crap ones that cost them money to throw away or that get wasted as there isn't storage. They then grumble they should be grateful for whatever they get which isn't the case.

@Suzi888 thank you, I am doing it for therapeutic selfish reasons as well. Loved ones are trapped in the nightmare, doing something at least feels like I am not sitting there passively. A lot of criticism on this thread is justified though.
To be fair, I would not be doing it if it wasn't so close to me personally, it's been a mixed experience. Don't really want to be questioned over a bar of soap, or expected to provide proof that it will go to people with the greatest need. Because I can't, if a woman will come to the local help centre on that side and will ask for a pack of tampons, she will be given one without any referrals or checks that she's actually on her period. And it doesn't sit well with some donors, which is understandable but proper infrastructure can't be created in a few days from scratch.

We had a natural disaster near us a few years ago, people out of their homes for months. People meant well but the amount of useless stuff ( broken and dirty some of it as well - cause the poor displaced families would be happy with anything don’t you know) that people sent to the area was ridiculous, a friend was involved in a charity helping out and it cost them money just to get shot of some of it and fuel costs to take stuff to dumps and to charity shops etc. I have to fast forward the bits on the TV about all the collections cause it makes me cross. I’ve donated money.

@VanGoghsDog

I sincerely hope that if my town gets bombed people don't roll up in lorries trying to give me second hand duvet covers.

No, it's deluded. Donate money to the Red Cross.

When we were caught up in a natural disaster, the Red Cross gave us $1000 each to help with displacement expenses, and a very nifty wind up radio torch. They also offered nappies and milk powder for the baby, and distributed chemical toilets

That's why I donate to them. They do get to places and they do help people

By sending money you will also be supporting local shops and businesses who could well have been badly affected by the hideous situation in Ukraine.
Goods maybe cheaper than here so your donation goes further and is used for what is actually needed, at the right time.

There really is no need to drive to Poland with nappies and shoes. It's easier and probably cheaper to buy them in Poland. And best to give money to local Red Cross so they can buy in bulk and get them to the people who need them.
So many of these social media collections are misguided and unhelpful.