To not understand why people are driving to Poland?

[Tgbiyr]

Genuinely interested in whether I’m missing something.

I have a friend on Facebook who’s driving part of a convoy of goods for Ukrainian refugees from the UK to Poland. Toiletries, clothes etc. He asked people to donate goods, and now he’s asking people to donate towards fuel costs.

I cannot understand why anyone is doing this. Would it not be better to donate to the Polish charities supporting the refugees than transport lorries full of goods thousands of miles? Or ask for donations of goods to support refugees who come to Britain? What am I missing?

AIBU to think that driving lorries from the UK to Poland isn’t helpful, and the money would be better spent being directly donated to organisations in Poland?

I think for most people it isn’t virtue signalling, it’s motivated by a genuine but misguided desire to help.

They know exactly where its going and what they need.

This is key.

@Ncwinc

Sending money helps. Sending stuff helps the senders feel good.

Such a cynical way of looking at it. How about thinking people just want to do whatever they can? There are many people in the UK who have no spare cash but do have possessions they can donate. Perhaps it isn't ultimately all that helpful but just screaming "send cash" is missing the mark sometimes.

@Teastheword

What does Poland want?

www.gov.pl/web/unitedkingdom/humanitarian-aid-to-ukraine

@CorneliusVetch

I think for most people it isn’t virtue signalling, it’s motivated by a genuine but misguided desire to help.

Agree.

Thanks 20:23AdriannaP!

It's all for likes on Insta

My parents are hoping to be able to host a family of refugees (from wherever) so I’m hanging onto bits and pieces of baby stuff for then. Agree with all of the point raised already.

I think people are completely forgetting that Poland, Hungary etc. are developed European countries with access to basic supplies and the means to manufacture them!

@secretsqizzle

I'm going on Sunday . I have a huge transit van full of specific stuff requested by the 'helpukrainiancenter' based in Chelm Poland.

We have a huge amount of new unused medical equipment from 2 care homes that have closed down. The stuff is unopened and still sterile. My Polish friend has literally begged for this. I have a free van, donated by local builder . I have crowd funded the petrol. 1 k to take 50k of stuff.. not a bad return.
I don't want 'thanks'
I absolutely don't want my name on this .
I do not want this stuff in a landfill so this is the only acceptable action.

Yes that's great, but surely you can read between the lines that what OP and other posters are saying does not apply to you? We're not seeing this kind of scenario, we're seeing lorries/minivans being packed with random bits people are donating that can easily be procured close to the border.

I can see the sentiment that sending money would be better options, but I disagree with people calling them as some kind of attention seeking. I think they are the kind of people who just want to get involved and do something. Not bad people at all. Without those people, the world would be a less better place imo.

YANBU. If it was purely altruistic why document it all on SM?

The aid agencies have said repeatedly they want money not stuff but people continue to ignore them 🙄.

I donated to our local food bank and clothing bank who will be providing refugees arriving in our area with welcome packs. I imagine lots of food/clothing banks are planning the same.

Its not quite as facebook-worthy doing that though I suppose.

Yes, it's ridiculous.

Also the "bright idea" doing the rounds on social media about "booking somewhere in Ukraine on Airbnb but sending them a message saying you won't be going, you just want them to have the money"

Urgh, people are just so desperate for attention they will take any opportunity they can. Just donate to the bloody charities ffs, they know what they are doing.

I'm quite certain many donations are going without all being documented on Insta.

Honestly, apply some critical thinking!

Yanbu. Money is more useful.

@Frenchfancy

A donation of money makes much more sense than old clothes or tinned food. But the donation of sterile medical gear seems like a very good idea.

One association here is loading up a coach with medical supplies, bottled water and such like and driving it into Ukraine to Lviv. They drop of the supplies then fill the coach with women and children. They have done 4 runs so far. Now that seems worth it, but obviously has an element of risk for the coach driver.

People who actually know what is needed are requesting items like thermal clothing only, non perishable food, camp beds, hats, gloves, and so on.

But of course MN users know better than people whose family and friends are out there helping the refugees

YANBU. Giving money is the most practical and helpful option but also the most boring one where busy bodies can’t get their virtue signalling fix. Cramming your van with items no one asked for is something you can post on social media, a bank transfer not so much.

At Dunkirk they didn’t say ‘just donate to the RNLI and we’ll get the lads back eventually etc

They also didn't say, "Just turn up in your small boat off the coast of France."

Civilian owners delivered their boats to specified mustering points where they were handed over to Royal Naval control. Many owners volunteered to crew and proceeded still under RN control.

It wasn't a free-for-all. Might well have been calamitous if it had been.

Urgh, people are just so desperate for attention they will take any opportunity they can. Just donate to the bloody charities ffs, they know what they are doing.

I the Red Cross etc. need to do something about people setting up Ukraine appeals on just giving. I can't understand why anyone would be daft enough to give to those, losing 10% in commission for Just Giving straightaway, if what's left even gets to the charity.

There have been/are specific refugee crises where clothing is needed- for example, warm children's clothes for Syrian refugees in Greece , mostly mens' clothes for refugees in Calais (the organisations usually ask for specific things like new socks), but this isn't one of them, at least not right now.

I see your point and agree Joe Bloggs hiring a van to deliver random goods sounds a waste of time. However a local business man who had a truck heading back to Poland after delivering goods from there asked for donations to fill it up for its journey back. He has coordinated with a Polish aid charity (sure it was the Polish Red Cross) on what specifically is needed (and this has changed over the course of the past couple of weeks so he will prioritise donations accordingly). Other people or businesses that were collecting donations have now started coordinating with him, our local council has even got involved to help work on what are the essential supplies needed. Volunteers are packing it all properly and after the first successful delivery of two 44 ton trucks to a city in Ukraine he is now working on filling the next lot. It seems a good way that our local community can feel they are helping but with someone who has taken the time to work with Polish charities to make it worthwhile.

I have seen some people moan on FB that their second hand clothes were refused as ‘people should be grateful for anything they are given’, however one of the local churches encouraged people to donate second hand clothes to them, they organised the sale of it all to some company and all the money raised was donated to one of the aid charities.

Maybe people don't trust many charity's and want to make sure donations go where they are meant to.

Let's be honest a lot of charitys in recent years shouldn't be trusted.

Would it not be better to donate to the Polish charities supporting the refugees

Yes. Yes, it would.

Yanbu. My friend was selling some baby clothes on Facebook as she needs money for food and she had two people tell her she should donate them to Ukraine.

One of our school WhatsApp groups was circulating a list of requested items that included bullet proof vests and night vision goggles….

I know not everyone has got money to give so if heavy costs etc are needed and they happen to have those items at home and they are requested, then great. Donate them.

On another note my neighbour made a very loud request for some packing boxes last week as she was going to Lidl to get sanitary pads and nappies. I said to her ‘oh don’t worry just make a donation if you’re having to jump into a car and buy things anyway’ and she said very firmly ‘this is the way I like to do it’.

Years ago I helped with a bit of research on people’s preferences on charitable giving. Many loved the idea of sponsoring an individual child in a poor country so they feel they have some ownership of it.