Charity shop volunteers

[Dogmatix34]

My mum is 77 and normally works in a charity bookshop once a week. She said she had had a call from the manager which I presumed would be to say thanks for everything but obviously you can’t come back but no, it was to say they were busy cleaning and hoping to get back up and running soon. I’ve told my mum I feel very unhappy at the thought of her working there in such a public facing role but I’m not sure she gets it. My sister feels less strongly about it than me and thinks it’s something she loves. Don’t charities have a duty of care to their 70+ volunteers? Or should it be up to the individual to judge for themselves?

Sorry- with your sister.

My DM is 75 and works in a charity shop. They got a letter weeks ago asking when and how they would feel about returning, whether they would go straight back or wait and see what happens a few months down the line etc. Many are going straight back but my DM has said she wants to wait for 3 months to see what happens

@SockYarn

Please bear this thread in mind when you next try to drop all your stuff off and find that Oxfam is only open 12-3, or Cancer Research is only open on Saturday.

Most charity shops need at least two people in the shop at any time, for safety. In the shop I help in, move half of our volunteers are over 70, or have health issues. If they don't come back, we just won't be able to cover all the shifts. We're constantly juggling shifts as it is and ill get regular calls asking me if I can swap my thursday morning for a tuesday afternoon or whatever. It's really hard to get volunteers who will get stuck in, and be reliable.

On the other hand, if you or your teens are at a loose end over the summer, you know what to do!

Well said that's the thing Charity shop managers are dreading having to tell people there are restrictions on donating, on one FB page my husband is on for managers are already reporting people are being rude if they cant accept loads of stuff, I am sure there will be a post on MN very soon about charity shops refusing donations

I volunteer for a charity that provides a service that involves up to an hour of face to face contact in a small space with the public. We were told no volunteers over 70s or on the vulnerable (not shielding) list would be allowed in the building.

I am on the vulnerable list and half think “fair enough” and half think I should have a choice.
Not that we’re open yet.

We do have power of attorney over health, it was organised last year. She would be angry if she knew but also secretly pleased because we are worried about her. We NEVER interfere in her life or her in ours but as they keep saying, these are unprecedented times. This is a very busy, narrow shop. My sister did stress that she hopes to go back ASAP, just not quite yet.

If the POA is in force. Then I assume it is because she needs support to make those decisions for some reason so I apologise. I got the impression she was independent generally.

My DSM (over 70) had an idea - she's sarcastic like that:
Let's round up all the over 70ties and put them in perpetual quarantine - they could hand over their finances to their DC who paid for the facilities (like OAP batteries), bin their posessions (all clutter anyway) as they wouldn't need them anymore and there they could wait for a coronafree death watching their GC on zoom.

On a more serious note she told me the instant any of us would start to interfere with her decisions she'd go NC - and rightly so.

National Trust Volunteer here. All over 70s are being asked to “pause” their volunteering and will be told when they can return.

When ARE charity shops opening up again?
I have huge bags of clothes... the clothes bank bins are overflowing. Dunno what to do with all the clothes...

@ragged

When ARE charity shops opening up again? I have huge bags of clothes... the clothes bank bins are overflowing. Dunno what to do with all the clothes...

Most Charity shops will open in phases some wont be open until July, AND there is going to be a lot of restrictions on donations due to the fact that all donations have to be quarantined for 72 hours, My DH is opening one of his early July, he will only be able to take donations on certain days and will have to limit the amount he can take. I would suggest if you have HUGE bags of clothes once your local ones are open that you pop in and ask them or phone them before you bring them in to avoid disappointment if you are turned away.

Most of the clothing bins are collected by charities and sent to a central depot, these only started to open this week as they are non essential, I sure yours will be emptied soon

I guess I'm irritated coz we've waited months already, and now it seems I need to 'monitor' the bins for when the bins actually get emptied. Instead I think I'll just add my huge bags to the huge bags already piled up all around them already.

Well said that's the thing Charity shop managers are dreading having to tell people there are restrictions on donating, on one FB page my husband is on for managers are already reporting people are being rude if they cant accept loads of stuff, I am sure there will be a post on MN very soon about charity shops refusing donations

Probably. People can get very entitled about using charity shops to take their unwanted stuff.

@ragged

I guess I'm irritated coz we've waited months already, and now it seems I need to 'monitor' the bins for when the bins actually get emptied. Instead I think I'll just add my huge bags to the huge bags already piled up all around them already.

Irritated

WTAF - they're not a council run waste service, there for your benefit.

How many hours a week do you volunteer?

We have two in our village & one in the next village. The bigger church run one isn't open yet, they have loads of storage space (plus extra at the moment) & a large shop, quite a few young volunteers too.

The other two are small, cram packed, virtually no storage & mostly older volunteers...worryingly they're both open & according to my friend we're both bursting with people yesterday - no distancing, no Perspex, no quarantining.

Worrying.

I'd be worried about my Mum too! Let's hope community transmission is low & stays low. Give her some hand sanitiser to take with her if they're not providing plenty. Maybe find out about the hand washing supplies and buy some soap & paper hand towels (as they're a charity).

@ragged

I guess I'm irritated coz we've waited months already, and now it seems I need to 'monitor' the bins for when the bins actually get emptied. Instead I think I'll just add my huge bags to the huge bags already piled up all around them already.

AS I have said the reason why they have not been collected before now is the because clothing depots were not classed as essential business not by the charities but by the government, the collection drivers, the people who work there are not charity workers so would have been on furlough, picking up something from say the IOW would have been classed as non essential travel on the ferries and roads its obvious when you think about it. I'm Irritated because the hair dressers are closed and my favourite café is also closed, I've waited months but I realise life and the things I like doing are not going to be the same for quite a while

@PrincessConsuelaVaginaHammock

Well said that's the thing Charity shop managers are dreading having to tell people there are restrictions on donating, on one FB page my husband is on for managers are already reporting people are being rude if they cant accept loads of stuff, I am sure there will be a post on MN very soon about charity shops refusing donations

Probably. People can get very entitled about using charity shops to take their unwanted stuff.

And Charity shop workers are 'entitled' to work in a safe environment especially now, look no Charity wants to refuse goods, but people need to understand that they might want to donate their 3 months of lockdown donations, but so did the 10 people who wanted to do the same before they arrived at the shop to do so and the 20/30 people who wanted to do it after them, with a lack of volunteers, a lot of the rag merchants ceasing trading a 72 hour quarantine, being summer 60% of donations will be winter clothes that need to be stored as well, this means that a lot of shops will physically not have the room out the back to cope unless restrictions are put in place

POA comes into force if there is doubt of capacity. If your mum can make her own choices then POA shouldn't apply!

Though I do see why you are worried xx

@starfish4

Aren't the over 70s in the clinically vulnerable category and recommended to go out just for a walk once a day still (and obviously for essentials if they don't have anyone to shop for them) until the end of June. I think it's unreasonable to ask anyone over 70 to return back to their role until at least this date. The first week is going to be hectic, more donations (which have obviously got to be handled carefully and quaranteened). Even if customers are limited, she's going to have quiet a few who don't care about the 2m rule.

That is the extremely clinically vulnerable (shielding), 70+ year olds only fall into that category if they have a medical condition that puts them there. Otherwise they fall into the clinically vulnerable group (why they chose to use two names so similar I don't get 🤷🏼‍♀️). They just have to be more careful with social distancing but can still do the same as others as long as they are particularly careful.

Technically, I have a full time (~35 hrs/week) volunteer (not working under contract but I might get backdated pay... or I might not) covid-19 response job right now, which is high skill and very technical. I've been doing this since start April and it's relentless. Senior People frequently ask for my contributions. I also do 2-3 additional hours of community volunteering right now, but I'm not allowed to do any of the other voluntary roles (2-3 hrs/week) that I used to do before end of March.

Since y'all asked.

If anyone has activated LPA for health and welfare when DM is volunteering happily and is capable of making decisions about their own health, then that’s wrong too! How can anyone who is actively volunteering need this activated? She needs to be incapable of making health and welfare decisions about herself to enable activation of the LPA. By making her subject to the LPA, you are being coercive.

Sorry, what I meant was we have the legal document in place, my mum is still capable of making decisions for herself and if she feels strongly she wants to go in despite the risks then we can’t and won’t stop her. Speaking to her manager was sneaky but he wasn’t aware of her age and took on board what we said. She is starting to become frail and the fact is that we do have to step in a bit with elderly parents, whether that’s telling them not to climb ladders to paint the house or not to wear flip flops( my mum fell in them and broke her wrist last year). It is patronising but I think most people with elderly parents do advise them because we love and care for them and realising you are getting older/ less capable is hard to do on your own. I hope my DC will step in a bit when I’m older if they feel I’m putting my health/ life in danger.

Also, selfishly, it is often the DC who have to step in when they are ill/ in an accident and that can be tricky when you have a job/ DC.

I think all we can do is advise. I have an elderly DM and, whether I approve or not, she makes her own decisions. She’s 96 and still does her own garden and drives.

My 78 year old FIL wouldn't put up with that condescending stuff, OP.

Aren't the over 70s in the clinically vulnerable category and recommended to go out just for a walk once a day still (and obviously for essentials if they don't have anyone to shop for them) until the end of June.
No and it’s frustrating that so many people think this. They have to stick to social distancing- like everyone does.

I used to work in charity shop management. Its voluntary.. no one is forcing your mum to return. Totally different situation to employed staff.