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

If only you have donated then take it home and donate it yourself. Stop trying to force other people to do something they don't want to. Learn from this and don't waste your time next year just to piss your colleagues off.

Seriously? What's wrong with people? You're being rude to OP who is supporting a charity. She said going over 90£ is hard for her financially and you're shaming her for that???🤯

You're over invested. You do you and let other people do whatever it is they want to do..you can't force them to donate and it isn't any of your business who donates what..

You yourself said, and this is a direct quote, 'we're all supposed to donate'. If you think that and are emailing people about it, something has gone wrong somewhere. It might be the employers fault for creating that expectation, or for not telling you to get back in your box, but it's one of the two.

Maybe they don't believe any children will go hungry if they don't donate a tin of biscuits?

I dutifully donate to stuff like this but if I'm honest I don't believe most of it ever goes to someone who needs it. Families with young children are reasonably supported by benefits, and I work in a hospital where we are inundated with toys and chocolates in late December. People have generously given to "Children who have nothing to make them smile this Christmas" or similar, but the truth is the random toys are pressed on slightly confused children who already have perfectly good families who are giving them the things they actually want.

If your colleagues are insulting the supposed needy children that is unnecessarily assholeish, but I don't think you need to lie awake worrying that a homeless family will face a bleak Christmas without a basket of dried pasta, beans and tinned soup.

You heard multiple colleagues all say about brats and parents getting jobs?

I don't believe you.

But who decrees that 'we are all supposed to donate' because thats not their right. Staff can't be obligated to donate that isn't how charity works it should be a persons choice.
What someone spends their hard earned money on is their choice you don't know what other sacrifices they are making, and it's not for worthy types like you to call them selfish

You really can't judge folk for choosing how to spend their own money. They don't have to make horrible comments, although if they're constantly being nagged to donate to something they don't want to then they're maybe getting fed up.

People are just selfish, as this thread shows. It's an "I'm alright Jack" attitude.

Then they wonder why people won't help them when they need something.

And these same work colleagues will think nothing of going to the pub for a Christmas piss-up and spending loads of money on tat for their own kids no doubt. It makes me SO bloody angry when people scoff at those who try to do something worthwhile to help those who have little or nothing.

This is what I think. I know many children do live in poverty but equally this is the UK in 2024... there aren't actually children walking round in rags who have never had a toy or are literally starving due to poverty...yes I'm sure some may have some form of food insecurity but I don't believe any child is going to starve to death if I don't donate a packet of biscuits.

I refuse to donate to shoebox appeals which promote religion. A gift should be given freely with no strings attached. I support a charity all year round, not just for Christmas, which gives children around the world the equipment they need to be able to get an education.

I actually think it might be true, but it's the colleagues way of telling OP she's overstepped.

It doesn't. Lots of people have said that they make charity donations. But chosen, not bullied into.

I don't think one email is creating that pressure though. The email said "please donate if you can" - hardly begging

@LookingForAHandHold

But there is a power imbalance here. I don't think that an employer requesting that you donate to charity is appropriate. Younger/more junior staff could feel pressured.

People spending the wages they worked for on their own children? How very dare they?!

They may also not agree with their employer getting any reputational benefit from employees charity donations.

I'd remove the box and just take it to the charity, people can be mean and saying horrible things is just nasty, there by the grace of God.

Ah I see what you mean, like a wind up type thing?

People can be selfish with their hard earned money if they like though. We shouldn't need foodbanks to the extent we do - get angry at successive governments who've let things get so bad and not normal working people.

Have you spent £90 of your own money? If so I’m not surprised your colleagues are reluctant to donate, anything g they do give now will look measly.

In another thread people were talking about how much they spent on DC this christmas. It was 150-2000 £ for one child so I think most can afford 1£...

Are you for real? You don't get to decide how people spend their money.

Someone in the office put up a food collection box the day before yesterday. I didn't really want to be bringing in heavy tins and bags into the office.

I'm the most junior in the office