Anonymous
09/28/2023 11:15
Subject: Re:Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m not really sure what your question is. I’m sure that any donations that you make will be appreciated. I’m also sure that it will be appreciated even more if someone doesn’t have to spend money for expensive and possibly unhealthy food (cheap oil or margarine for example) in order to make the donated food work. I’m not sure what you mean by “fair”. Limited income means painful decisions. Buying diapers and toilet paper and paying rent might mean that butter and oil are burdensome expenses, especially the week that the rent is due.
You have no idea what people have or don’t have. It would be kind to assume that people have nothing, and to package your donations accordingly if you can, especially if you’re donating the least expensive part of a dish that requires other ingredients. I might get tuna helper — since I could also include a can of tuna. If I donate cake mix or cereal, I might also donate shelf stable milk.
You yourself note that food is wildly expensive. If butter costs $ 4-6, and eggs cost $4, then the cake mix that costs $2 -3 can turn a treat into an expensive burden plus icing. So I guess my suggestion is to be as thoughtful as you can when making donations that require other ingredients— especially when the ingredients are expensive relative to the donation.
tldr: Wonderful that you’re donating! Try to do so in a thoughtful way, if and as you can.
Did you read OP's post? The food pantry told her (and everyone else on their email list) that not only are her donations not appreciated, but they are in fact "useless."
The donations are not supposed to be for OP and his/her feelings. It's supposed be for ppl who need it. So, BFD if she was told that if, in fact, they are useless. Grow up, OP. Get a thicker skin. And donate in a way that is useful or move on.
Anonymous
09/28/2023 11:13
Subject: Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:I volunteer and donate to my local food bank. They recently sent us a somewhat terse letter telling us donors that we need to do better on fresh/frozen goods. A part of the letter read, "Your donations of hamburger helper and cake mix are useless without the items necessary to complete these dishes such as ground beef, oil and eggs. Additionally, we get lots of cake mix donations, but not many tubs of icing. This can mean the difference of a child having a birthday cake or not."
So separate of the issue of the food bank chastising donors, my question is about those who use the food from the food bank. If you can't afford food, and you get several bags weekly of food, is it unfair to think that they *can* afford to buy pantry items like oil or packaged frosting? I get that food is wildly expensive and for those in poverty, it can be prohibitively expensive to grocery shop... but seriously?
I'm asking here because I have been making a conscious effort to check my privilege. What say you on this issue?
WTF is wrong with you? Yes, your "take" is ignorant and grossly lacking in empathy. You seem resentful for people getting free food? Check that attitude or find another place to give. Or are you one of those that begrudges poor people for asking for expensive Christmas gifts on those giving trees? How DARE the poor have desires like the rest of us!?! That's how you come off and it's gross.
And while I'm at it. If you're going to donate, donate things that can be used fully. I've participated in food drives and so forth and the things people offload (expired items, items like "pie filling") and other sh-- they're just getting rid of is absurd. Give thoughtfully. Otherwise you deserve the talking to.
Anonymous
09/28/2023 10:25
Subject: Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Yeah, that letter is rude and tone deaf. If I'd received such a letter, I'd respond and let them know that, and I would strongly consider donating elsewhere. I'm happy to donate whatever is needed by a food bank; it greatly helps when they're explicit about what they need. Need perishable items? Sure, just let me know. But there's a polite way to do this that doesn't risk alienating donors or would-be donors.
Anonymous
09/28/2023 10:02
Subject: Re:Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Please stick to charity galas. If you are so offended by that letter then you need to stick to organizations where you’re probably fawned over and worshipped.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would not punish the FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE because the people running the program are a**holes or used the wrong tone or whatever, am side eyeing every single person who wrote that.
The FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE can benefit from OTHER ORGANIZATIONS that I would be donating to instead of the a**hole one. I'm side eyeing you right back for thinking that it's ok to treat people who are GIVING YOU THINGS like garbage.
I appreciate this comment. My take on the email was that it was direct and informative, and likely written by someone who doesn’t have either an UMC professional background or a communications team. It seriously blows my mind that so many people are reacting to it as though it was insulting on a deeply personal level.
Your take is that being rude and unhelpful is necessary and effective? That's a poor take. It blows my mind that this is how your mind works. Do you have to communicate with people in your line of work?
No, my take is that the email was straightforward, and not designed by or for upper middle class people whose fee-fees are easily primed to be insulted when their pantry clearing efforts aren’t met with praise. Do you ever get out of your insulated environment where everyone is highly educated and has access to a communications team?
Anonymous
09/28/2023 09:54
Subject: Re:Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Please stick to charity galas. If you are so offended by that letter then you need to stick to organizations where you’re probably fawned over and worshipped.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would not punish the FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE because the people running the program are a**holes or used the wrong tone or whatever, am side eyeing every single person who wrote that.
The FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE can benefit from OTHER ORGANIZATIONS that I would be donating to instead of the a**hole one. I'm side eyeing you right back for thinking that it's ok to treat people who are GIVING YOU THINGS like garbage.
I appreciate this comment. My take on the email was that it was direct and informative, and likely written by someone who doesn’t have either an UMC professional background or a communications team. It seriously blows my mind that so many people are reacting to it as though it was insulting on a deeply personal level.
Your take is that being rude and unhelpful is necessary and effective? That's a poor take. It blows my mind that this is how your mind works. Do you have to communicate with people in your line of work?
Anonymous
09/28/2023 09:48
Subject: Re:Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Please stick to charity galas. If you are so offended by that letter then you need to stick to organizations where you’re probably fawned over and worshipped.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would not punish the FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE because the people running the program are a**holes or used the wrong tone or whatever, am side eyeing every single person who wrote that.
The FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE can benefit from OTHER ORGANIZATIONS that I would be donating to instead of the a**hole one. I'm side eyeing you right back for thinking that it's ok to treat people who are GIVING YOU THINGS like garbage.
I appreciate this comment. My take on the email was that it was direct and informative, and likely written by someone who doesn’t have either an UMC professional background or a communications team. It seriously blows my mind that so many people are reacting to it as though it was insulting on a deeply personal level.
You "appreciate" people being rude to someone who is trying to help?
Food bank: We need pasta, jelly, peanut butter, cake mix, oil, frosting and canned tuna
Donor: Oh, here's some cake mix like you asked for!
Food bank: Your donation is useless
You: I really appreciate that another pp is being snide and rude to the person going out of their way to help!
Anonymous
09/28/2023 09:43
Subject: Re:Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:Please stick to charity galas. If you are so offended by that letter then you need to stick to organizations where you’re probably fawned over and worshipped.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would not punish the FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE because the people running the program are a**holes or used the wrong tone or whatever, am side eyeing every single person who wrote that.
The FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE can benefit from OTHER ORGANIZATIONS that I would be donating to instead of the a**hole one. I'm side eyeing you right back for thinking that it's ok to treat people who are GIVING YOU THINGS like garbage.
Ha ha. I'm barely one step above needing the food pantry myself. If I make a sacrifice to help out someone else, I don't expect to be treated like garbage for my efforts. If I received a letter like this I'd just stick to not donating.
Anonymous
09/28/2023 08:45
Subject: Re:Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:Please stick to charity galas. If you are so offended by that letter then you need to stick to organizations where you’re probably fawned over and worshipped.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would not punish the FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE because the people running the program are a**holes or used the wrong tone or whatever, am side eyeing every single person who wrote that.
The FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE can benefit from OTHER ORGANIZATIONS that I would be donating to instead of the a**hole one. I'm side eyeing you right back for thinking that it's ok to treat people who are GIVING YOU THINGS like garbage.
Is that really what the food pantries want? To drive people away? A better understanding of both the donors and the donees would go a long way. It's not that hard to think about your messaging and potential consequences. Maybe some people aren't cut out to work with the public.
Anonymous
09/28/2023 08:41
Subject: Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I didn’t think you were supposed to take perishable items to food banks
Me, too! I would never donate eggs or meat. I have donated shelf stable milk, but never fresh foods like eggs!
Plus 1
I thought they used donation money to buy perishables to supplement the shelf stable items. That’s what the one in my town does.
Anonymous
09/28/2023 06:34
Subject: Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:I didn’t think you were supposed to take perishable items to food banks
Me, too! I would never donate eggs or meat. I have donated shelf stable milk, but never fresh foods like eggs!
Anonymous
09/27/2023 23:43
Subject: Re:Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:Please stick to charity galas. If you are so offended by that letter then you need to stick to organizations where you’re probably fawned over and worshipped.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would not punish the FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE because the people running the program are a**holes or used the wrong tone or whatever, am side eyeing every single person who wrote that.
The FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE can benefit from OTHER ORGANIZATIONS that I would be donating to instead of the a**hole one. I'm side eyeing you right back for thinking that it's ok to treat people who are GIVING YOU THINGS like garbage.
I appreciate this comment. My take on the email was that it was direct and informative, and likely written by someone who doesn’t have either an UMC professional background or a communications team. It seriously blows my mind that so many people are reacting to it as though it was insulting on a deeply personal level.
Anonymous
09/27/2023 23:39
Subject: Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Eggs are back down to less than $2 a dozen where I live. You need 1 or 2 to make a cake. That leaves 10-11 eggs to eat or make other things with. That’s an incredible bargain for a great source of protein. I’m not saying it’s possible for everyone, but I think the logic of a dozen eggs being a “burden” is wrong. If someone who is hungry cannot find a use for a few eggs, they probably won’t be making a cake in the first place.
As a former poor person, let me blow your mind. You don't actually need eggs to make cake from a mix. You can literally just pour a can of soda-- coke is great with chocolate cake-- and mix it up and bake it just like that. You can't tell it wasn't made with eggs or oil. The soda does the job.
Mind blown. I’m going to try this. Thanks for the tip PP.
Anonymous
09/27/2023 23:15
Subject: Re:Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Please stick to charity galas. If you are so offended by that letter then you need to stick to organizations where you’re probably fawned over and worshipped.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would not punish the FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE because the people running the program are a**holes or used the wrong tone or whatever, am side eyeing every single person who wrote that.
The FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE can benefit from OTHER ORGANIZATIONS that I would be donating to instead of the a**hole one. I'm side eyeing you right back for thinking that it's ok to treat people who are GIVING YOU THINGS like garbage.
Anonymous
09/27/2023 21:45
Subject: Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:Eggs are back down to less than $2 a dozen where I live. You need 1 or 2 to make a cake. That leaves 10-11 eggs to eat or make other things with. That’s an incredible bargain for a great source of protein. I’m not saying it’s possible for everyone, but I think the logic of a dozen eggs being a “burden” is wrong. If someone who is hungry cannot find a use for a few eggs, they probably won’t be making a cake in the first place.
As a former poor person, let me blow your mind. You don't actually need eggs to make cake from a mix. You can literally just pour a can of soda-- coke is great with chocolate cake-- and mix it up and bake it just like that. You can't tell it wasn't made with eggs or oil. The soda does the job.
Anonymous
09/27/2023 21:22
Subject: Is this a particularly uneducated take on food insecurity/poverty?
Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure being poor *should* be comfortable. Being poor is not a safe way to live, and removing the reality of poverty and making it easy and comfortable does no long term favors for poor families.
Stop making sense!