From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

beanielou

I dident think the food waste outlets were allowed to charge. 

Greying_Pilgrim

beanielou said:

I dident think the food waste outlets were allowed to charge. 

I think maybe by "strongly suggesting", that gets around that requirement beanie - although I think it's discriminatory myself.  But charity collectors aren't allowed/supposed to rattle tins in your face on the street, so I don't know what this volunteer thought they were doing rattling the tin at  the person who was trying to select some bread. Perhaps this volunteer had been brought in as an 'enforcer', but they made 2 people walk away and I don't think the person trying to find something for themselves was very taken with the volunteer's approach.  My previous experience of that outlet has been trying to only take what I needed/could use, whilst a volunteer is imploring me to take more........🙄

I don't go to this venue very often - I think I've only been twice so far this year - and I didn't recognise this particular volunteer.  It would be a shame if the charity have had folk "taking the mickey", but I think maybe the pendulum has swung too far the other way.  And this particular volunteer didn't assist perception.......  iyswim.  But also, perhaps it is a change of operational policy, because from what I briefly saw, there was "more" of everything today.   It's usually 4 wizened carrots, 3 french bread batons and a yoghurt that's on offer. 

Greying X

badmemory

I find it distressing that someone who could be in dire need could come across that attitude & end up running away with nothing.  That would seem to me to be the polar opposite of what should be intended.  I do hope I have misunderstood.

Greying_Pilgrim

badmemory said:

I find it distressing that someone who could be in dire need could come across that attitude & end up running away with nothing.  That would seem to me to be the polar opposite of what should be intended.  I do hope I have misunderstood.

No - I don't think you've misunderstood badmemory - I think the volunteer was....... perhaps not a 'good fit', and I chose to walk away.   None of us know what folks situation is just by looking at them - and for all I know (and anyone else knows), the older person who walked away could have been in need of something.  Last thing you want is people 'tapping the sign' 🙄

To be fair though, I don't visit that outlet regularly (we were passing when it was open today) - I happen to have not seen that volunteer before, they could have been there for sometime or just started today, the new system could have been in place months, or just started today - and I have no idea what type of client group regularly uses that facility - it's publicly accessible, and all are supposed to be welcome.  Maybe folks are wonderful, maybe there have been issues......  

edited - to add, this is a 'Food Waste Diversion scheme' - not any type of foodbank requiring referral or 'co-operative' requiring membership etc.  The 'stock' is from supermarkets, shops etc.

Tea has been munched.  We had omlette, mash, mixed veg and baked beans.  The mash was made from the last of the AB red r00ster tatties.  I have to say, they made wonderful mash.  I added a bit of garlic to it for a change, and it was lovely and creamy smooth.  Yoghurt and banana for pud for those that wanted.  I have two eggs left.  No tatties.  A few carrots and a couple of onions.  We do have plenty of food still, so I'm still keeping to my (self-imposed) challenge.  

Only money spent today was a charitable donation for the cakes.

Greying X

Blackcats

Volunteers can have such positive impact or not.  I recently took a bag of donations to our local charity shop and a volunteer pounced on me and said "for God's sake can't you read?  NO donations required at the moment".  I shan't be going there again either as a customer or to donate.

edinburgher

Oh my @Blackcats - that is appalling!

Greying_Pilgrim

Seconded what ed said - appalling ☹️

Greying X

beanielou

Thirded by me. That’s absolutely disgraceful. 

rtandon27

Oh wow - how horrid - there are tactful ways to say the same thing!

Cheery_Daff

Sorry to read about distressing volunteer experiences here. I hope the volunteers in question will be closely supervised and that someone will address their comments and teach them how to behave better... Sadly I think volunteers are often NOT supervised well, and while that's often fine as most people are great, it doesn't help in situations like this. I'm so sorry it put you off. Would a letter to the organisation be in order? 

We walked past our local 'waste not want not' place the other day, and I popped in for the first time. I suspected from the name it was food waste diversion, rather than a food bank, but wasn't sure, and had never got round to popping in to ask, as there were no windows to peep through, just a door, and I'd never seen anyone going in 😂 Someone did go in the other day though, and I followed them - fortunately a very friendly volunteer on the desk. I hadn't been intending to take anything, but learned it was indeed a food waste diversion scheme, that everything would go to landfill if it wasn't taken, and so we were basically forced to take a loaf of fancy w@itr03e bread 😮 which is now happily in the freezer. I did leave a donation - but nobody was pointing at signs or tutting at me, thank goodness!