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

I think what stage you're at in your life is relevant here. You sound quite well meaning but also naive and idealistic. I get the impression that you're imagining poor hungry Victorian-esque children excitedly opening the packet of biscuits and being eternally grateful that you've saved them from starvation.

It’s because fundamentally, a lot of people are just horrible.

Fair enough, if they don’t want to donate, I think that’s fine. It’s a matter for them. But the nasty comments and piss taking - it’s because they’re horrendous people.

But those people are spending the money they earn on what is important to them. You don't have a right to demand money from them.

Osp your employer will be writing off their donation against tax. And hoping to bask in the glow of employee donations.

That is what is annoying your co workers.

I'm not.

But im also not naive enough to not realise there are children out there who will only get a meal at Christmas because of a food bank. I know that the toothbrushes I've bought might be ones that have to last a year or more

This is good advice.

This is 100% the reason why no-one wants to donate! 😂

It’s a marketing ploy from the company to make themselves look charitable, likely to be boasted about on their socials.

The marketing team are also lazy enough to “suggest” a charitable idea to make their company look good, but then expect all the minions to organise and pay for it!

It would be a big no from me. I would quietly and privately donate to a local foodbank without my employers trying to turn it into some fake fanfare.

100% this.

Do you work in Marketing, or did you volunteer to organise for your office, OP?

I volunteered. I'm just a secretary

Well well done you, OP. You are so so nice, obviously MUCH kinder than everyone you work with, if only more people were like you, so giving and thoughtful.... Ad infinitem

Is that what you were after?

OP I’m afraid you’re coming across a bit sanctimonious and yes a PP said… a bit immature. Your colleagues are probably picking up on this.

of course it would be great for everyone to be able to contribute to help those in need. You have no idea of other people’s financial situations or experience of giving to charity or similar though.

Unfair and sarcastic comment, totally unnecessary

@LookingForAHandHold Don't forget to update your "socials" about your good deed, it's only a good deed if you tell everyone you have done it 🙌🥱

"Well we're all supposed to donate, I've taken charge because everyone else ignores it"

So how much are people paid more than their contracted wage, that they need to donate? I suspect £0 which means they are supposed to donate £0, which is what most of them are doing. All is right. Be happy.

I wouldn't do that again. You've risked pissing off colleagues who have more seniority than you, all so your employer can pose and tweet about it.

I get that. It's horrible that people can be so callous with their thoughts and words, effectively saying that those who are struggling are less worthy. They are defining themselves with their judgments, not the recipients though.

I know it's tough at the moment, and people have hidden struggles, so we can only hope for, not expect donations, but good will doesn't cost anything xx Well done for caring. It's not virtue signalling. If we called everyone who tries to do something to help as virtue signallers, then what a miserable planet we would be living on xx A packet of biscuits might not change the world but when you are hungry it will bring a much needed cheer xx

With the action shot of delivering the stuff, companies love that on their socials.

I remember when I volunteered to drop off some toys for an appeal to a local supermarket, I was sent back by my Director because I didn't get a picture of me with the store manager with the array of toys in the background. even got briefed on making sure there was a pic of me wheeling a trolley into the shop 🤣🤣 i was mortified asking one of them to get a pic of my trolley dash and the manager was like "don't worry every company asks us to take these sort of pics" 😂

Do you really know this though? Who are these children who will not eat at Christmas if you don't donate tins of tuna and a six pack of crisps? What could be going on in their homes that would make their parents unable to buy three toothbrushes for £1 in Poundland all year long? What is the route by which your donations will reach these desperate people? How do people apply? Who allocates the donations?

I think as someone said upthread it is easy to feel all benevolent and virtuous picturing the joy on Tiny Tim's face when he receives his £1 packet of biscuits. It is nice to believe something that costs us almost nothing can have a significant benefit for a deserving person who genuinely needs it. But the reality of these well meaning collections can be quite different, especially at Christmas.

It’s is the very essence of virtue signaling. The cherry on the cake being the OPs pity me post on here.

If this is a company initiative, have any of the senior managers donated? Maybe it would be better if the email came from them?

Making mean comments about the people who use food banks is horrible though.

Sorry OP, but, this.

I work in a school, as a group our staff are all pretty charitable, but a donation drive organised by a heartfelt member of staff with close connections to a particular charity always goes over much better than something like what you're describing (I've worked in the private sector before). Even if the charity itself is fine, those members of staff who have been there for years and know the company is benefitting from being perceived as generous, off their backs, will find it grating.

You're taking this very personally. I'd recommend backing off from this. Give 'marketing' the feedback that no one was interested, if they even ask. If they want to force their workers to give to the charity they've picked, they need to get someone else to do it, ideally someone further up the ranks.

I don't personally have the money to buy myself lunch and/or coffee every day but I'm not sure I'd judge someone for their use of their own money.

I’m with you @LookingForAHandHold
It normally is the people with the least who give the most. The thing is there’s nothing you can do to change their mindsets. Fwiw I’m 56 and certainly not naive, but I’ve realised you really do just have to do what you think is right and let everybody else get on with it. Courage mon amie

Also over half of my gross wage is taken from me each month with a chunk of it spent on benefits which are generous enough to cover food and pretty much everything else for those that don’t work (I get some people can’t yadda yadda…). A packet of biscuits is a fart in the wind compared to what I already pay.