To be really pissed off about my office's attitude towards our food bank donation

[LookingForAHandHold]

Every year we run an office collection for a local food bank. This year we're doing one for families with nothing and young children.

So far im the only one who has really donated. I understand times are tough, but it's £1 for a pack of biscuits in Iceland.

People are making horrible comments too, about the branded names etc and the ungrateful brats who don't deserve it. It's for young children. It just breaks my heart.

I'm so close to taking it all home and donating it myself

What did your follow up message say, as that one seems ok.

Surely you could have added a little more info? A few sentences about the Charity. A list of suitable food items and a list of what not to donate.

I’d send a follow up email and say donations are sparse so far, here are items that you could donate. If anyone wants to donate cash instead, then do and you’ll do a shop on xx date.

I think it is very sad your colleagues won’t enter into the spirit of things and donate. In this area there is a care service whose caters actually run marathons and climb mountains to raise funds for local charities, and they are not well paid themselves. There will always be Scrooge/Grinch types in every office, mean people who will never be happy themselves.

Obvs the nasty comments are not on. However you can't criticise people for not donating. The cost of living crisis is very real, a food shop nowadays is a ridiculous cost. Also if they have children at school they would have been asked for a vast amount of donations over the past couple of months, I know I have. Sometimes you have to draw the line and think of where to prioritise your funds.

its not relevant? I earn a high six figure salary, have two businesses and freelance on the side. I have tightened my belt. Imagine earning what you are earning and having to run a hone with childcare, heating and grocery bills. I’ve made sure my staff have had good Christmas bonuses rather than faffing around at the food bank. You have a lot of growing up to do OP. Leave people alone. Life’s tough.

Sounds even worse than wedding invitations with no boxed gifts. No wonder folk are fed up.

Or perhaps there’s more going on that you realise.

did the company take credit for the donation last year? Not mentioning the staff funded most of it?

did the company not give inflation levels pay rises or bonuses- saying they had no money making staff question if budgets for pay rises went on marketing initiatives like this?

in previous years did different department heads get competitive about it and they topped it up out of their own pockets?

in previous years did you have staff members who already did food bank donations divert their usual donations to the company collection ? (And those staff members either didn’t this year or have left)

how about try a discreet chat with someone who was here last year and see if they know why it’s so different this year.

No no - don’t do that.
Just let it die a death quietly rather than try to police people’s speech.
dear dear this is getting ridiculous. 🤦‍♀️

"It's for homeless families" doesn't really tell us anything about the charity though. Charities can be problematic, poorly run, badly targeted, be used a recruitment tool for religion. It's not so simple as charity = good and people are allowed (and should imo) to be picky about what they give to.

The comments from your colleagues are unnecessary but its also not your place to judge people's finances or reasons for not giving based on what they for buy for lunch.

You have no idea even if they already donate to other causes. £1 might be nothing to you so why not double or triple your own donations instead before you judge others.

Maybe they want to decide what they donate to rather than have it decided for them. Everyone thinks their preferred charity is the most important one and rightly so. I wouldn’t sacrifice a penny of my preferred charity’s money to give to one I don’t believe in.

I spent £90 today. I can't afford much more, but I will go shopping again in the week

What's the matter with you?

If you want to donate to a food bank go and do it OP but don't try to guilt others into it. What they spend their money on is none of your business.

The charity begging at this time of year is relentless and can upset people who cannot afford to donate to the many charities asking for help.

If this thread stays up, it's so going in one of the rags. Calling it now.

I think they were tricked by some billy goats and are now taking it out on OP.

You’re being very foolish to spend money you can’t afford.

Move out, pay your own living costs and then see how generous you can afford to be.

Much worse! A lot of us actively prefer giving cash for the sake of ease, and would be fine with an invitation making it clear that would be welcome. Whereas I can't imagine anyone would enjoy being told they're in the wrong for not donating premium brand.

I wouldn't give 10p if I knew it was going on biscuits.

How about real food? I know my local F.B. doesn't want fresh food, but there are many tinned foods around that are proper meat & veg.

Now this is very judgemental.
You have no right to determine what others do or don't contribute. WTF?
(Speaking as someone who donated to and volunteers at our food bank all year round).

Really getting into the spirit of Christmas

This sums up what's wrong with this country and mumsnet in particular

Charles Dickens is spinning in his grave

@LookingForAHandHold I can see that you are trying hard to do a nice thing. Unfortunately office collections and mumsnet have a lot in common, full of cunts.

It is ‘only a £1’ to some but a lot of people have compassion fatigue at this time of year.

How come you have ‘had’ to spend £90? Do you have to give everything on a set list? What happens if you don’t?

I wonder if people could donate a £1 instead that they may be more inclined to donate?

Really, it’s not your job to police your colleagues. It’s none of your business what others donate, or don’t,

Fundraising & donations need to run professionally. With office leadership, leading..

If you want to make a change, talk to whomever is in charge of the programme and see if they can energize it. Or change perceptions about the charity.

It’s been like that for 500 years.

Historically, people who have struggled will be more empathetic towards those who are struggling than those who have not.

It’s a sad statement about our humanity.

Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” about the phenomenon.
Some people are humbled. Some never are.