When is a favour not a favour.

With olio, the onus is on the person who wants what is offered to go and pick it up.

Having the luxury of it being delivered is not to be sniffed at.

buffyfly9

Perhaps I am misunderstanding all this but I don't understand why Olio is not just giving all the surplus food to all the different food banks!! There are families out there really struggling; I can't bear to think of young children going to school hungry when people who don't NEED this surplus food are giving it away to all and sundry. It's seems immoral to me.

Possibly because it’s on or near use by date and food banks are closed when it’s collected/distributed, usually at the end of the day, could be 7/8pm. And/or they don’t have freezer space to store it quickly.

Ps there is often a queue right down the road at our local fresh food re-distribution centre. There is no need to be referred by a GP or Social Services as is the case with a Food Bank.

Anything gone past the date has to be ditched, better for it to be used.

Perhaps your group needs to advertise more widely, Grannygrumps1, do you have a local FB page or community FB page?

buffyfly9

Perhaps I am misunderstanding all this but I don't understand why Olio is not just giving all the surplus food to all the different food banks!! There are families out there really struggling; I can't bear to think of young children going to school hungry when people who don't NEED this surplus food are giving it away to all and sundry. It's seems immoral to me.

It's usually fresh food which food banks don't normally take (see my post above).

Ziplok

Out of interest, what is Olio and Foodstop? I’m assuming Foodstop is equivalent to a food bank? Never heard of Olio.
Are you in the UK?
It rather surprises me that volunteers are given so much free food that is presumably given in the first instance to support those in need?

I'm not sure but we had a talk recently from a group who collect just on or near date food from supermarkets and redistribute it.
Food banks don't generally take fresh food but this, different, group has fridges and a freezer.

The woman in charge said sometimes they get given so much bread that they stand in the street, trying to give it away!
If they didn't do this worthwhile volunteering, the waste of food would be far worse.

The world produces more than enough food to feed everyone on the planet. The waste is horrendous.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding all this but I don't understand why Olio is not just giving all the surplus food to all the different food banks!! There are families out there really struggling; I can't bear to think of young children going to school hungry when people who don't NEED this surplus food are giving it away to all and sundry. It's seems immoral to me.

Many many times when I have collected there is nothing that I want. So not had 10%. It is no problem with him having it. As occasionally he has requested it through the app. What I’m try to get at……. Is that I’m clearly overly generous to him and get nothing back in return. As others have advised …….I should stop being so nice or kind. As If his favours require payment then so should mine.

Just wondering, all ethical aspects aside as other posters have brought them up and you've replied, why exactly you're anxious that you continue a friendship with this man?

If someone is my friend, they offer to help me if they're in a position to when I need help.

If they're not my friend, they make it clear upfront that they are doing a job of work for me, rather than a favour.

Examples: (1) there's a very nice chap who worked for my late husband and I doing 2 shifts each week for 16 years. He can be kind and thoughtful - during the week long power cut in our rural area last winter, he took me up to his home where I was able to shower and enjoy a hot meal with his wife and him. He still does the odd job for me but he would never, ever, consider not charging his full rate, plus fuel costs since I've moved further away.

(2) Our farrier, who over many years has become a real friend not only refused to ever put his rates up for us as he did his other clients, but when I moved and was upset at the prospect of bare wooden floors with just a few rugs down as I was unable to afford to carpet my house, gave me free and with no strings attached a roll of carpet big enough to do my whole house. He also moved my furniture in his horsebox to save me the cost of a removal firm.

Your friend seems to be in the example (1) category. So what are you getting from the friendship that makes you anxious about rocking the boat? If you know the answer to that, it'll help you know how to deal with him - or not - going forwards.

But does he know you get the food for free?

I agree with posters who said he should not have charged you for doing a small job. But then I have a very "transactional" mind which is why I am "in business".

If I ask a random tradesperson to do a job I expect to pay them and will ask them up front for an estimate. If it was an existing aquaintance to whom I had already given a lot of stuff I might well remark that I might ask for a small reciprocal job to be done at some future time.

First time he suggested charging I would probably have reminded him about all the free food I had given him. Ok maybe he never asked for the food but by accepting he placed himself under an obligation. It would be interesting to see what his response is when (if) you remind him.

Some people will simply take and take with no sense of obligation.

It occurs to me though OP, that if you are merely passing on food acquired from Olio, you are not actually giving him £40 of foods week. You say it would be thrown away.

Sometimes my neighbour requests things and sometimes he doesn’t. Any surplus food I can then either distribute to friends or neighbours or have to bin it. Which is often a terrible waste.
It sounds to me as if you are choosing to take your full “allocation” of 10% whether you personally want it or not. I don’t really see how this solves the problem of waste if it is then, as you say, thrown away?
So if it to be redistributed or binned, what is the problem with your neighbour having it?

Grannygrumps1

You’ve been given lots of advice on here on what to do……have you not read the suggestions?…..

You say you are allowed to keep 10% of what you collect.
Surely that does not mean you have to.
If you only took what you needed (or nothing) could you not leave more for others in real need, and not freeloading like your neighbour?

Oh by the way…..
Olio is not designed for needy people. It’s to prevent waste.
Obviously I provide to those who are really in need first especially if I know their personal situation. ( which I often do as I’ve met them at the FoodStop)

Ok for those of you that don’t know. Olio is a free food app. People, like me collect from various supermarkets each day. We collect all the food that they would normally be throwing away. We may be volunteers but we are paid. As we are allowed to keep 10% of what we collect. We advertise it on the app. And anyone can ‘click’ on an item and request to have it. My job is then to let them know when they can collect the items. Usually that night or they will be out of date.
Sometimes my neighbour requests things and sometimes he doesn’t. Any surplus food I can then either distribute to friends or neighbours or have to bin it. Which is often a terrible waste.
FoodStop is like a food bank. It run by the local church. But it’s not free. It’s £3:50 each week. I can not give them food that is passed it’s use by date but can give them anything that is date marked best before. As it can then be frozen. As I also work at the FoodStop they do receive any unrequested from Olio as I get them to request what’s left. I hope that clears it up.
My neighbour has more than he can manage from me.
But I realise from all your comments that he does seem to be taking advantage. So how do I keep the friendship on an even keel. When I seem to be all this ‘feeding’ very much as a favour. Yet he expects to be paid for favours in return.
What do I do…. Often if I don’t give him the food it’s just going to be binned.

I live on my own and have never spent hundreds of pounds on food in a year, never mind a month. You are being over generous and like others would say this is what you were given, perhaps the charity has to scale back?

If he is desperate he can go to a food bank, if not he is lining his pockets.

If it were me I’d be giving him less and less and it would grind to a halt. You could also say they’re tightening up on the food and you are getting less.
It doesn’t sound right to me that food meant for needy people is being abused in this way by a greedy person.

Why are you giving him food - full stop.
Does he have a pension, is he on benefits, does he have mental capacity, is he disabled in any way?

I don’t know how you got yourself into this tangle but you need to stop. Now.

IMHO, your neighbour is taking advantage of you.
Ease back on what you gave him, or else, say “this bundle costs £42” or whatever. If you do that each time, he might get the message…

Namsnanny

Have you thought what might happen to your friendship, if you stop volunteering for some reason?
In a way you are making him reliant on you for a very important part of his budget.
Situations like this rarely end well.
Just thinking out loud.

An interesting thought.
I think I would give this neighbour less in future, and just say there is less coming in so food is reduced.
Continue getting tradesmen in, it is your choice.He should not know what it costs you, or even ask about it.
Yes, he should have been doing jobs for you free of charge.

Why not ask him for a swap? Food for a job that needs doing? If he declines then STOP feeding him.

Perhaps just dial down how much you give to him and gradually withdraw. Or, ask him how much he would charge and offset it against the value of the food passed to him. Bit mean but some people just don't get it! You sound like a really kind lady. Good luck.

Olio is a way of stopping good food (and other stuff) going into the bin.

Here's a page about volunteering with them.
olioex.com/get-involved/volunteer/

I know it's UK. Don't know if they operate anywhere else.

The food is not costing you anything and if you are given enough to share around I assume there is a lot of surplus that would otherwise go to waste. Your neighbour could go and get it himself for free, it is not you that is giving free food it is those that donate to Olio.
If anyone should benefit from the free food it is Olio, not you.

Something wrong about these organisations if they allow this to happen.

If you get payment of any kind you are an Employee and should be notifying the Tax Man.
A Volunteer gets no payment at all and gives their time freely. As to giving away £40 of food to a neighbour! From a food bank!
Makes me wonder how much the food value is each week that they give to you.