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 also really hope people remember that while the people in Poland do need help, there are also crises situations in many of the big African refugee camps, where donations have been falling over the years, and many people don't have enough food, or anything else, day to day."

There are refugees sleeping outside on the border of Poland. They are freezing and are malnourished. The Polish border guards beat them. Sometimes they beat them to death. They ask why the are treated differently. They are fleeing the war in Sudan. Let's hope that some of the charity lands their way.

All i’m saying is I’d love to see the receipts for the cash donations supposedly being made by all these posters who are so offended by the people actually out doing stuff.

It’s like when people say ‘we should look after our own at home first’ before helping refugees (which is the usual line round here) when it’s blatantly obvious they are the same people voting against school meals for impoverished children.

Who needs the Disaster Emergencies Committee when Dave can drive over with a van load of second stilettos and a tray of Spam.

*stilettos were an actual donation in Hull.

@MurmuratingStarling you need to take a breath!

Maybe people just feel so unbelievably helpless they want to try and do anything they can to try and help, maybe they’ve donated money too. I won’t berate anyone who is trying to help people in need.

How do you know they don’t need this stuff? A local guy in the village was collecting things to take to our local Ukrainian church, who in turn are taking these things to Poland/Ukraine via trucks.

I donated hats, gloves, sanitary towels etc. So did many others.

It's madness. People sending stuff people don't need and clogging up the infrastructure. Ukraine needs food and medical supplies and Joe Bloggs from up the road cannot deliver this. The big charities have ways of getting that help there. Much better to send money. I'm in EU where we have a flood of people. They need accommodation and ideally jobs, and their kids in school. Not your hand me downs.

@Hollyhobbi

I gave money to the Irish Red Cross and Medicins San Frontiere (can't spell it). Dds school had a cake sale which raised over €2000 for the Irish Red Cross. Its beyond ridiculous that supplies which were carted thousands of miles across Europe and a couple of seas to Ireland are bought at Irish prices ie: very expensive and then carted back again to Poland via sea and land! And it's not helping the environment either. But the worst of all is complete gobshites clearing out their summer clothes wardrobe and wasting charities time, who then have to go through everything to sort out the rubbish from actual useful donations, and then pay to have that rubbish removed!!

In my town a Polish couple are taking stuff to their home town, they know what is needed. Maybe I missed the point but I went and bought stuff, I didn't realise people were sending used stuff.

Don't, I've got a friend who did the whole 'van' thing. Video of the queues of refugees . Story giving his first hand account 🤦‍♀️. People all over SM telling him how wonderful he was and I'm just thinking the money you spent on the van hire, fuel, insurance, channel crossings, hotel, lost earnings etc must have been a good £3k why not just give the bloody money quietly to DEC 😫

Tilltheend99

I gave cash like most people probably have on this thread

@MadMadMadamMim

Ridiculous.

As ridiculous as the 6th forms who get students to pay thousands of pounds per head to go off and 'build' an orphanage/well/school somewhere in a 3rd world country. It's a jaunt for well off kids and if they genuinely cared they'd donate the money and pay for local - proper- builders to be employed to do this. Not teenage girls with no skills. Apparently it's an amazing life experience to go and patronise poor people in a poverty stricken country.

That annoys me. It’s so blatant and patronising. Like they have no one in these poor countries who couldn’t do manual labour better than some hung over 20 somethings. At my work I had to sit through a talk about such a placement. The speaker was boasting that they’d raised tens of thousands but then went on later to detail the costs of flights etc which were paid for by the money raised. I was just sitting looking around for eye contact with someone who was thinking the same as me. It’s ridiculous. Who raises funds for a cause and then spends it on themselves?

@YouHaveYourFathersBreasts

If people have stuff rather than money to donate they’re better off either keeping hold of it until refugees start arriving here or donating it to other charities.

Money is more useful from what I can see.

I disagree with this. I think that most of the people driving over have good intentions.....it's a long drive just for a good insta.

I do think that money would be more useful but everyone wants to help where they can, it is a massive humanitarian crisis.

Sorry, replied to the wrong post.....

@gonetogroundnow

It's next level virtue signalling. A lot of people I event with are taking their horse boxes over and had a weekend collecting stuff this weekend just gone.

You will never see a more painful demonstration of try hard middle classes than a mass convoy of Oakley horse boxes driving to Poland and sharing their trouble on insta.

This is the one I disagree with.

The Chernobyl charities are very well placed to direct funds to the correct places and have the necessary contacts.Our local charity has been able to fund a local in Kyiv to provide a soup kitchen.

I agree. I think it’s nuts.

@Finlandandsweden

Tilltheend99

I gave cash like most people probably have on this thread

I've given to the DEC and bought stuff for the local couple going back home to Poland with a van load of stuff. I don't think they asked for money for the journey, just donations to take. I bought mainly sanitary products as I thought it would be miserable enough being a refugee without having to deal with periods without reasonable products and also baby clothes as I thought it might be hard to get stuff washed and dry and you need clean clothes for babies.

They are in touch with people in their home town and know what is needed and gave a list.

Yes. Virtue signalling at its finest.

If you want to drive across Europe, do it as a
holiday. Nobody is stopping you.

Don’t wait until there’s a humanitarian crisis so you be be praised and worshipped for it.

Money is much more useful! however, someone I know has now made two trip with cash to but what's needed on the Ukraine border and has driven people away from the border to safety. I can see the point of that.

I had an acquaintance on Facebook who posted a picture of a full pack of Pampers and asked “How can I get this to refugees in Ukraine?”.

Considering all of the faff, and the fact it’s only a singular pack of nappies, a monetary donation will be much more appreciated, Sue

@Errorschach

Money is much more useful! however, someone I know has now made two trip with cash to but what's needed on the Ukraine border and has driven people away from the border to safety. I can see the point of that.

It's only useful if there is stuff to buy. I don't know what is in the shops in Ukraine, I imagine there must have been a bit of a rush on somethings.

I organised an internal collection at work we bought the items on the list that was being distributed. Sleeping bags, medical aid, head torches, children’s suits. We then donated the rest of the money to the charity the government is matching.

I never posted a thing, no one apart from my husband knew I did it. My colleague on the other hand, donated nothing, plastered it all over her Facebook pretending it was her idea.

Was anybody else a little at the Air B and B thing? Letting people book rentals in Ukraine with no intention of going to help out the owners.

I know they meant well and I’m sure it’s helped but I can’t help but think if you own an Air B and B you’re probably financially okay.

@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.

This is clearly not about people like you, donating stuff being ASKED for. This thread is about random people showing up with loads of shit and nobody to sort it

I agree @Chocolattay

Well intentioned and I looked into doing this but came to the same conclusion.

@Tilltheend99

All i’m saying is I’d love to see the receipts for the cash donations supposedly being made by all these posters who are so offended by the people actually out doing stuff.

It’s like when people say ‘we should look after our own at home first’ before helping refugees (which is the usual line round here) when it’s blatantly obvious they are the same people voting against school meals for impoverished children.

Well you’re never going to know what anonymous strangers are actually doing so there’s no point worrying about the possible hypocrisy of MN posters. It doesn’t change the fact that with limited exceptions money is a much more effective and efficient way to help.

Anyone who has ever volunteered in a charity shop will be well aware that a high percentage of the stuff donated is a load of tat. People donate stuff with good intentions, thinking someone will get the use of their stuff, but they really won't.