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?

@50Gotajobthrunepotism at the centre where my friend volunteers in Warsaw, yesterday was a particular request for women's clothes size 16+

@Noisenough

This is not a new thing I remember soap being collected and driven to orphanages in Eastern Europe was I was at school in the 90s, no FB but schools and churches made sure everyone knew. Money makes more sense but giving a "thing" somehow makes you feel like you are actually helping.

This is the same with food banks. In general, they find money more helpful than donations from individuals. But people really really like to donate stuff rather than cash. Even if they are purchasing recommended items and could just as easily give the money.

It's the same with those things where you "donate a goat to a family". I don't think it's just about not wanting the money to be misused, it somehow feels more concrete and caring.

@UniQuery

@ newusername2009

"I thought that polish shops would run out of baby milk etc with the increased demand (remember petrol crisis and supermarkets during covid) and so money alone wouldn’t be enough for things where demand will outstrip supply, at least initially until supply can adjust"

So who us the expert in global baby milk supply chain - Nestle, Danone, Reckitt Benckiser or Rob from Shepton Mallet who has a Polish friend?

@UniQuery this made me LOL 😆

@WelshDaffodil

I think in part it's charity fatigue, or rather "Big Charity Fatigue". Rightly or wrongly, many have the perception that their money will be used for big CEO salaries, and not get to Ukraine. Not helped by charities such as Comic Relief being revealed to be holding millions in donated money in their bank account. Misguided as it is, I can see why some think that buying items is the way to go.

But people can also choose to donate to smaller charities, local charities (Ukrainian and Polish ones) - It’s not that hard to find them in this day and age.

It is true that bigger charities like MSF and Red Cross are better equipped at dealing with a large influx of donations and scaling their work in times of emergencies. Not all big charities had scandals. MSF even received the Nobel Prize a few years ago.

I just hope those sending clothes send decent items. As a volunteer in a charity shop, I’m aware that lots of donated clothes are sold by weight. That’s because they are filthy, or damaged, or simply worn out. Thats fine, sorting is a major part of the process, and they still raise some money.

It would be costly, and patronising, to send similar to Ukraine, but I fear it’s happening because donations to our shop have reduced in the last couple of weeks.

I'm sure someone has posted this: ideas.ted.com/after-a-disaster-dont-send-toys-or-clothing-send-money-heres-why/

Humanitarian workers actually have an acronym for this: SWEDOW. 'Stuff we don't want'. See also 'shoes for Africa' 'Bras for Africa'.

Also a big fan of this (sorry links won't work on my phone)

www.boredpanda.com/taal-volcano-evacuation-filipinos-donated-clothes-positive/?utm_source=aidnography.blogspot&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=organic

@UniQuery

@ newusername2009

"I thought that polish shops would run out of baby milk etc with the increased demand (remember petrol crisis and supermarkets during covid) and so money alone wouldn’t be enough for things where demand will outstrip supply, at least initially until supply can adjust"

So who us the expert in global baby milk supply chain - Nestle, Danone, Reckitt Benckiser or Rob from Shepton Mallet who has a Polish friend?

Ahhh but people don't trust an expert

I.saw.a post saying to.stop sending clothes etc because they're being dumped in boxes. People don't have the time to sort through them all. They literally need sanitary towels, nappies, sleep blankets and food. The polish charities are asking for.money so they can buy what's actually needed.

@Ddot

Fill the empty Van's with children and their mums

See now that's useful. If they are going to drive into the war zone and get people out.

Maybe homes under the hammer guy could do that?

@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.

And the same for gap years for wealthy kids.

Your post is life wisdom and I will read it often @MadMadMadamMim

I agree op.
There is also the fact that driving all that way had a huge negative impact on the environment. Yet the same people doing all this virtue signalling will be bleating on about how us commoners should be thinking of the environment and staying at home for holidays rather than flying.
Just donate money or donate your good quality items to a local charity.

@kittensinthekitchen I think @TeaForTiger meant gawp (to stare openly/rudely).

I'm bemused that anyone would think going to Boots and buying some nappies to be driven in a van by some local chap is a better idea than giving to a sensible charity who will be able to use the equivalent money much more effectively. This doesn't seem to have gone down well at work, where a pile of crap is building up in the corner of one office.

I agree. It's all about being seen to be doing good. FB fame. All nonsense.

Refugees are being given free train travel across Europe. No need for men with vans to transport them individually in ford transits. It would make more sense to donate to local taxi firms to get people to the station.

@Seymour5

I just hope those sending clothes send decent items. As a volunteer in a charity shop, I’m aware that lots of donated clothes are sold by weight. That’s because they are filthy, or damaged, or simply worn out. Thats fine, sorting is a major part of the process, and they still raise some money.

It would be costly, and patronising, to send similar to Ukraine, but I fear it’s happening because donations to our shop have reduced in the last couple of weeks.

We had someone bring us stuff yesterday because they had stopped taking the donations for Ukraine. There are about 3 decent items out of bags of stuff, most of it was stained, stank of smoke or really impractical.

Nobody wants your old pants or bras.

My donations included 40 packs of ibuprofen - these are actually much cheaper in the UK than in European countries.

Is that actually legal?

If it's legal or not who cares

@Ddot

If it's legal or not who cares

I’m not sure that sending any old drugs that someone claims to have got from a supermarket shelf into a foreign country is a good idea. They may not be what they say they are. Medicines have to go through a registered humanitarian organisation, I thought - for good reason.

And the potential irony of thousands and thousands of increased profits from extra demand for Putins oil fuelling the vans to cross Europe to help refugees which will add to his war chest to bomb them.

Op I agree with you.

Saw one on fb yesterday where he has hired a van/minibus in Poland and wants to go pick up some refugees and take them where they need to go. And is doing a go fund me page, looking for 10k. He has raised £3k already

Who's to say where that money will go. There are no checks and balances. Big charities may have issues with overheads, however humanitarian aid being arranged at this scale has overheads and needs to be done correctly in order to actually help the people needing it.

The people fleeing war deserve to be treated with compassion and looked after properly not at the mercy of some bloke in a minivan, who may be perfectly noble in his efforts or may be looking to traffic people.

You can also send cash donations to the Ukraine army. It's not only humanitarian aid that's needed. If you're struggling to decide between goods to fill Joe Public's van or cash to a big charity that costs a lot to run, donating direct to the Ukraine army to help them fight the war might be your preferred option.

I think people are emotionally triggered and devastated by what they are seeing in Ukraine. They are keen to help and their intentions are good (some will exploit the SM opportunity) - but most just want to help from the bottom of their hearts.

However we should take responsibility to gently continue to educate people what will have the biggest most efficient impact for the intended recipients. It was only after the Grenfell Tower disaster that I saw how the knee jerk reaction to help (well intentioned and good hearted) left another mess and extra work and stress to clear out.

I am sure that the volunteers on the Polish border would prefer not to be spending weeks and months sorting through stuff and being left with burning or landfilling donations.

Compassion overrides sense though, and I genuinely believe that for most people this is about the desire to help. It's the same as when my dad died, I got 16 bunches of flowers. It did not help me grieve, it irked me and meant I had to devote an hour of each day to sorting out flowers! But people want to be seen to be doing something.

Ukraine is a bit of a perfect storm though - it's Europe so it feels 'near'. Most of us in the UK know Polish people, we see EasyJet flights to Poland, it feels like it's on our backyard therefore we can go there. Sudan? That feels far away.

Distrust of charities and experts - the charities only have themselves to blame for this one I'm afraid.

Ability to 'get' stuff - as well as those clearing out their wardrobes and cupboards, we have thousands of people buying 25 brand new sleeping bags and thermals off Amazon because they can. That's relatively recent too - that would have meant a trek to the camping shop in the nearest city a while back, hassle, they'd probably been out of stock. It's easy now to get our hands on anything. Incidentally, I'm on a no Amazon year which is what actually gave me pause in the first place.

Not everyone is solely in it for the gram. Some are, others are doing their best with the information they have and a bit of knee-jerk energy.

I've given to DEC and will do again on pay day.

DH’s Polish colleagues did it a couple of weeks ago. Everyone at work chipped in with donations and they took them over there. They have family out there so visited them while they were there too. I thought it was a nice thing to do personally.

@SundayTeatime

My donations included 40 packs of ibuprofen - these are actually much cheaper in the UK than in European countries.

Is that actually legal?

What’s illegal about it?

@SundayTeatime - ibuprofen was on the list of things needed there!