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

comments are rude, but it’s their choice if they want to donate. It can get costly. This week i’ve given £20 to crisis in memory of 2 colleagues we sadly lost this year, £10 for flowers for a colleague who has had a very sad bereavement, £20 to of my staff’s christmas toy appeal. Also spent £80 on two bottles of wine at a christmas lunch for 8 of us. So I am getting a bit weary of collections now, and yes it’s optional but when it’s your team, you do feel obliged. Sure I donated to something a couple of weeks back too.

Their comments are disgusting though, I guess they have a daily mail attitude that these people could get a job, but you’re right, the children’s shouldn’t suffer and not everyone is a dole scrounger as they think.

I probably wouldn’t donate, it might only be “a £1 packet of biscuits to you” but firstly I don’t have a large amount of disposable income, and secondly I will have already donated food to the foodbank collections through the kids’ schools and through our church, gifts (multiple) to the gift appeal at our church, and cash to the hospice and a cat rescue charity.

People like OP, aside from being judgemental, act like other people don’t have a life outside of work and can’t comprehend that there is actually an alternative to the work-based events. Sorry if that sounds harsh but there are people in my office with the same attitude and I’ve had enough.

All of you berating her efforts because she is young, living at home and doesn't have a lot of living expenses! So patronising, it's very hard for young people to get their own places nowadays. Two of mine have had to 'return' in order to save money and I wouldn't have it any other way. That doesn't mean they didn't have expenses.

I used to give to a local food bank but will not now since that took part in a march supporting something I disagree with. They also have employed a marketing person and some of the Facebook posts and activities I am uncomfortable with. I don't give to children in need or comic relief as do not agree where all the money goes. I prefer charities where it is very clear where the money is allocated.

We have in the past had a standing order to charities. We are far more discerning about where we donate now.

I think this is a good point. Net contributors are already subsidising other people, they should be able to go to work without being guilt tripped.

It's not a good point . It's a revolting attitude to have.

Not in terms of donations in the office (I dislike the workplace pressure to give) but in terms of thinking this somehow makes you better than others. It doesn't

Not least because finance is only one way to measure someone's "contribution" . I know so many amazing volunteers who are pensioners or low earners. So many people who are disabled and unable to work but give so much of their time to others. People who earn low salaries but give their all (and more) to a grossly underpaid but hugely important (to society) job.

But also because no "net contributor" had been a net contributor since they day they were born. And it's unlikely they will be throughout their old age.

And also "net contributors" need to think about things like their carbon footprint. They are far more likely to have significantly higher carbon footprints and therefore be "net contributors" to climate change which is going to cost us all hugely in the future

And, anyone wealthy almost certainly got there because other people work hard for very little money. Whether the cleaners or the admin staff or the people who empty the bins or the people aboard who manufacture so much of what we use.

And "net contributors" all benefit from the fact we educate and provide medical care for and support the people who keep the country running.

And i expect all "net contributors" use our roads and parks and at least some of our public services. Or benefit from the regulation of private business and policing of the country.

(And I say all that as a "net contributor" myself, in the financial sense but in addition I do heaps of volunteering, and actually that feels like the far bigger contribution that I make to the world. And through my volunteering I have met so many amazing people - in every tax bracket - who give their time and energy to make the world a better and kinder place)

So if a charity asks for donations to give some treats for homeless children at Christmas, you would be pissed off and refuse to donate? The thought of children living in poverty having a treat at Christmas makes you really angry?

Not donating is absolutely fine. Getting angry about children having a treat is not.

No wonder she thinks the worse of her colleagues because they sound dreadful.

What’s your evidence that net contributors have a larger carbon footprint? If anything it would be smaller as NCs tend to not have children.

Also the point about people taking care of NCs makes no sense, as net benefliciaries get taken care of more.

Surely homeless families means families without a permanent home, i.e. those living in temporary accommodation and refuges, often without cooking facilities.

A recent Guardian article reported that some children in this type of accommodation are developing ricketts and other diet-related health problems due to having nowhere to store and cook fresh food.

So NCs never need nursing care? Or their bins collected? Or the restaurants they attend to be inspected by health inspectors? Or their work places cleaned?

As for climate change - you need to think globally

That’s what you took from my post?? I just I wouldn’t donate to that particular charity.

The charity isn’t asking for a treat from donators, they’re asking for branded as the treat.

Asking for treats like advent calendars (which I have done in previous years) is very different to asking for branded biscuits instead of own brand biscuits - I am not sure why people are struggling with that!

We have a local group who run a food bank which includes a toy bank and baby bank. I vaguely know the person who runs it. I prefer to donate cash to them so they can buy what they need.

NCs will likely pay for their nursing themselves through the sale of their property.

They pay for their bins to be collected via Council tax.

They pay for restaurants to be inspected through their council tax rates.

So NCs are responsible for global climate change? Ok

https://www.environmentalgraphiti.org/all-series/wealth-and-carbon-footprint

Exactly. The taxes are paying for services they use. It evens itself out you could say.
But their taxes would be much higher if all those people weren't prepared to work for low wages.

It's shallow and short sighted to think worth is measured by amount of tax paid.

That doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t even out, some people just pay more. And that’s fine, we all live in this society. I’m just saying I can understand why net contributors don’t want to then be hassled to give more on top.

It doesn't "even itself out" - that's not what being a net contributor means.
High earners both work and pay more tax. Therefore they contribute more. Nobody said it is a measure of worth.

In a heartbeat someone healthy and well and earning well can become someone who costs the NHS a fortune.

Plus paying more tax is just one way of contributing to society. But others contribute just as much by working in underpaid but essential roles, or volunteering and doing things that would otherwise cost society or that provide a positive gain to society.

I'm not sure it's berating her efforts to point out that living at home with parents and having disposal income to dedicate to a cause like this, when you have no other commitments to think about is VERY different to supporting a family and having to be discerning about what you do and where your money goes at this time of year.

I personally wouldn't donate to this charity after they have asked for branded items as 'treats', branded items aren't treats.. treats are treats.. if you are asking people to give it should be expected that they will give what they can, not what they wouldn't pay for for themselves. If they want treat items for people at christmas, that is what they should have specified, I wouldn't have had a problem with that at all personally.

OP is doing a wonderful job getting behind it, but at the same time doesn't seem to see things from other peoples point of view at all, she thinks they are being stingy and mean when in reality they have always supported other causes.. this one is obviously not sitting right with people for some reason.

I wouldn't donate if they asked for branded items either. I don't buy branded for myself or my family so why I would I donate it.

Nothing wrong with supermarket basics.

Plus, they are not paying a higher rate of tax out of the goodness of their hearts. They are high earners and will still have a lot more disposable income after paying tax than lower earners who pay less tax. Once people earn at a level where they can afford to employ accountants and financial advisors, they may have access to schemes/loopholes which can help them avoid tax.

Myself and the OH give monthly each to our own charities. We also put money into buckets for various different things, sponsor people for their walks and runs and give to RBL etc for remembrance. It all comes to a tidy penny when it’s added up. There are people who look at us if we don’t volunteer to give money to the latest charity doing the rounds. They don’t know what we give. What I would suggest is that you go down to your food bank and give them what you want to donate and leave everyone to do their own thing. Your conscience will be clear at least.

I think your hearts in the right place and the colleagues comments are cruel . I think you are getting too involved in this and imagining all sorts of things . If these families are homeless they will be in temporary accommodation? Not cold , on the streets? They will have access to benefits ? Charities? Food banks? Community fridges? Maybe you could change jobs at some stage and work for a charity as this is a genuine interest of yours and would be very rewarding.

I dont really get child hunger in the UK. I mean it is very hard to think of anything which is a higher priority for parent than feeding their kids.Surely you make sure tha is taken care of before ANYTHING else

@Honeycrisp and @ThisOldThang at the team meeting the manager stood by the door with her boxes (one for each of our three local food banks). Yes, we had been asked to bring three things, one for each box, in the reminder email during the week.
She watched who put things in as everyone came past her.
I think this enforced giving isn't on with the cost of living crisis. For all she knows, there could be colleagues needing to use a food bank who felt guilted into bringing a donation along.
Not sure what can be done about it, if anything. It's not the first time we've had an enforced charidee or 'social' and people who speak up about the cost get the cold shoulder and a pep talk from their line manager about being more of a team player etc..