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Ok, this is totally HORRIBLE of me… but!

Posted by Claudia | December 17, 2007 .

My kids’ school asked if we could use a hamper for Christmas. Sure! I said, with the four kids and the budget that is tight every month, never mind at Christmas, I could use that help.

The organizer sent me a questionaire asking faves of the kids, what clothing size they were etc. I dutifully filled it out, and at the bottom, I noticed that another school, a private school, was putting the hampers together for “the most needy familys”

Alright. I ignored the guilt that hit me. Yeah. So what if the school picked us as “needy”? Heh.

On Saturday I was at work until 5:15pm. On my lunch break I called home. My husband was a little bit… how do you say? Confused. Even a little bit irritated. He works at night, so I chalked it up to his lack of sleep.

 ”Uhm. Claude, I have to throw out half of this stuff.” he said.

“What? Why?” I gasped.

“Well if you know what to do with expired “Fried eel with sauce” then I’ll keep them.” he snapped. ”There is also freezerburned frozen mystery fish and a whole bunch bunch of food that I have NO idea what it is. Not alot of it is in English. I can’t even read them to you.”

Oh geez. When I got home, I was shocked at what the hamper contained. He was not kidding. Half of it did go in a “free” box in the lobby, with a note to check the dates. The rest is nothing that goes together with the rest of the hamper.

See the thing is this: When I was lucky enough to help sponser a family and contribute to making HAMPERS for them, we really tried to make everything useful, and we especially tried to think of their kids.

I am happy we got a turkey(yay!) but it also came with TWO carrots and four potatoes. Actually I am laughing a little writing this. It’s almost cute, and utterly random, how the hamper was thrown together. With expired mystery cupboard rejects. Yeap. Send them to your nearest Needy East Van Family!

The thing that made me sad was the little toys for the four kids. All bought from the nearest Dollarstore I am guessing.

I hate to sound ungrateful. But I guess maybe I am in a way. I mean, it was intended with the best thoughts, so I am sort of regretting even grumbling about it at all.

BUT. Please people. If you won’t feed it to your own children, why send them on to us? Isn’t that a little disrespectful?

Thank you for trying to help other’s at Christmas. Truly. I know your heart was in the right place. Your brains on the other hand…

Rant over. Merry Christmas everyone.

 

 

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11 Comments so far
  1. Suki December 17, 2007 8:33 pm

    You ARE allowed to grumble about this.

    I haven’t really done much hands-on work compiling hampers etc. In a country like ours, you don’t really need systems to do it. I give off a LOT of clothes(they’re nice clothes, but for older, younger, thinner or fatter people LOL) to the lady who lives in my garage with her family, I find some lovely toys I couldn’t use and pass them on to the live-in maid(in a country this overpopulated, labour is really cheap), I find boxes and boxes of crayons and give them to my grandmother’s nurse. We’re not rolling in money, but once upon a time I did have a mother who provided for me very well. and I have a knack for getting expensive gifts, though how useful is sometimes beyond me hehehehe!

    The sad part is this - as long as it’s clothes and not-rotten food, it’s always going to find its way down to someone who will take it because he/she has no choice. We have people around who don’t even have a scrap of food or clothing :(.

  2. Brad December 17, 2007 8:42 pm

    It’s true, what kind of generosity is it to give away things you don’t want anyways?

    It could be worse, but still…

    -Brad
    http://www.clashofculture.com

  3. B December 18, 2007 12:09 am

    Claudia, that to me does not say “heart in the right place”. That to me is so typical of most people’s idea of charity, they pawn off their rejects. Like you said if they don’t want it why would someone else? It truly is a sad sad statement.

    On that note, if there is anything I can do to help, seriously just ask. I would gladly bring you a decent basket.

    B @ The Love Blog

  4. Suki December 18, 2007 7:59 am

    Umm… don’t know how the last comment came out.
    But what I wanted to say is, when I live in a country as poor as this I feel way more guilty about throwing something down the dustbin than donating it - IF it’s usable.

    I do understand what you’re talking about. I absolutely hate it when people give me, the “poor litle motherless girl” stuff they’d probably never wear themselves. The mystery is that they spend money on it, but completely lack taste!

  5. Michelle December 18, 2007 1:53 pm

    Argh. That upsets me. I totally agree, if you would not feed/play with/love it with your own children - just chuck it.

    When my oldest dd was 2 we received a hamper, and I felt blessed. She still has the doll that was thoughtfully included.

    Sometimes, it is NOT the thought that counts.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family from a grateful Island ladybug.

  6. crunchycarpets December 18, 2007 6:23 pm

    Oh man!
    Sheesh yeah, when I did a hamper we took our time to put it together.

    Another year we did christmas socks for toys and we really put effort into buying half decent stuff.

    Pity it wasn’t caviar and things like that!

    Oh and Michelle…sorry…I haven’t added your stuff yet….life has sucked..brain gone….will get there.

  7. jmb December 19, 2007 8:20 pm

    Claudia, I do hope there was something useful there, but you have every right to grumble. That was not nice of those people to put into hampers stuff that they would not use themselves. This exercise is supposed to be teaching children (private school at that so probably not on a budget)to think of others at Christmas, not get rid of our junk which is the lesson being showed here.
    Yes the thought was good, the putting it into practice abysmal.
    I hope you have a happy Christmas anyway.

  8. Scattered Mom December 30, 2007 11:39 am

    In all honesty, it’s not giving and being generous if the food is expired and not even useable.

    That’s just wrong and more insulting then helping, if you ask me.

    I’m so sorry that your hamper was not any good, Claudia. In my experience it’s hard to get people to contribute anything. :( Sometimes it’s better to go with fundraising and then have an organized group of people purchase the needed items so there’s no ‘mysteries’.

    I hope that despite the disappointment, you still had a happy Christmas!

  9. Claudia January 1, 2008 11:03 pm

    We had a fine Christmas. I took care of it myself (with a little payday loan help from money mart-blush).

    Thanks all for your kind words!

  10. smalltownRN January 8, 2008 4:42 am

    I know it is after Christmas that I write this, but I feel impelled to say something. Having for many years participated in hampers we made at work for families at Christmas I am disgusted that the organizers of your hamper would have let something like that even go out. Where I used to work…omgosh the food and the toys and food and toys just kept on coming…one year when I helped deliver the stuff to the family my car was stuffed to the brim with goodies for the families…and then we would give them a food voucher to Safeway so they could go get fresh produce etc. for Christmas day.

    This however, we got organzied rather late, the folks at work said they wanted to do something…so the social worker where I worked gave us a family single mom with 2 small children…anyhow, I had originally said I would take on the task of organizing the hamper….unfortunately I did not anticipate getting hurt before Christmas that therefore wasn’t at work much to make sure things were coming along…long and short of it…I felt obligated to get things rolling…I decorated some boxes…I went and bought a toy specific for each childs age and a gift for the mom….wrapped and decorated them as well…I then went and bought all kinds of little food goodies…now hoping others would pick up on this….I was disappointed with my group….when I heard what was in the hampers I was getting upset….one of the things the mom asked for was colourful towels…I didn’t know this until after I had already got my stuff for the hamper…anyhow..I went and bought for wonderfully bright bath towels…the day came to deliver the gift…the gang had come together but still not as I had hoped…there was cash that we went and go a food voucher and two other people had donated food vouchers…it did end up being more than enough….but I think had I not really got things rolling I don’t think they would have participated the way they did…and the funny thing is…they all kept asking when are we doing the Christmas hamper…..I remeber one colleague telling me she was going to put one of her daughters used dolls in the hamper…I was agast to say the least…especially seeing as this person the past year had won almost .5 million on the lotto….some people….

  11. smalltownRN January 8, 2008 4:47 am

    oops I meant to say compelled….and oops my grammer isn’t the greatest in this post…that’s what I get for typing this at 0445 in the morning…but I think you get the idea of what I was trying to say….