DU: Help me with this moral dilemma

[Zephie]

There is a food drive going on with the local supermarket. Pay $10 and they donate a huge box of food (more than $10 worth) to a food bank. Given that times are tough and many families need food, my husband and I almost bought it - until we saw that the backers for the food drive are the local Fox station. We stood there and discussed if it was right or not for us to buy it anyway, or instead to buy a regular $10 worth of food and donate it directly, which would come out to much less food. In the end we decided that we should ask what the general consensus on if it is right or not for us to buy the large box as we are unsure if the food will go to a non-religious food bank or if it will be delivered to the station and then distributed by the workers there to whatever groups they saw fit, and the store clerks had no answers for us about it and directed us to call the Fox station.

Any suggestions on what is right here?

Edited to add: Several people have said that my belief system shouldn't get in the way of helping due to my comment about going to a non-religious food bank. A bit of background: Many local food banks are also churches that require service attendance for "food vouchers", where the food is passed out after the service. My husband and I were denied food when we needed food bank assistance several times in the past because our beliefs didn't sync up with the people who were passing it out. We actually went to one out of desperation once and then didn't go back to the church after the first sermon sitting... They CALLED us, asking when we were going to come back "for our souls sake". I don't want to take part in the forced Christianization that goes on locally for the hungry.

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. Do it yourself

They'll just offload cans of outdated unwanted bashed items. Get good stuff and do it yourself. You'll also feel much better about it. :P

[Joanne98]

2. Corporations are the reason we need food banks in the first place.

Find another place to give.

[coti]

3. Do it yourself, but buy the same amount of food. nt

[Zephie]

8. Thats really hard for us, we're on food stamps ourself

and currently living off of my husbands VA benefits while he's in college. $10 is about all we could afford honestly, but we want to help at least a little, we know we're better off than some out there.

[mike_c]

4. hunger doesn't stop just because ideologies are different....

Unless you really don't think the food will go to hungry people, what possible difference could it make who is distributing the noms? People need to eat.

[NotThisTime]

5. Our Fox news local station is nothing like Faux news, they bring it to shelters or take lists from

social workers... Nor was our Fox news station a totally right leaning organization from where we moved from. You might want to go to their website and see what they say, but I'd be fine donating the $10.00 to the local station.

[GodlessBiker]

6. Under which moral system would you like the answer: utilitarian, rights-based, ...

duty-based, hedonistic, or another system?

I'd go with hedonistic...which answer would give you the most pleasure?

[Zephie]

11. Duty based personally

I know it's my job to help out others. I'm just worried that they won't be fair about the distribution process.

[GodlessBiker]

21. OK. So your duty to help is contingent on the ability of others to be fair?

If that's the case, you never need to help others since humans cannot be completely fair.

Take some food to a secular soup kitchen, or some such thing, and physically give some food to a person...directly...human to human. I think that face to face contact will create a pleasant side effect within you that you will not feel by giving some food to an organization.

[coti]

22. I don't think she's saying the duty is contingent- she's saying the manner by which she does help

is contingent.

[AnArmyVeteran]

29. I agree with you...

I wrote another reply below because I just don't trust corporations to do the right thing at all. I know there are good businesses but I agree with you. Giving directly to a person is better all the way around. I've gone through drive-thru restaurant and taken the bag of food directly to people on street corners or near homeless shelters. At least I knew my gift was received and the look of gratitude on the recipient's face was priceless.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9531300&mesg_id=9531695

[cynatnite]

7. It sounds like your local supermarket is partnering with them...

which is why they can offer more food for the money. I'd probably go ahead and do it. The point is to give and, IMO, that should matter more than an affiliate TV station.

[katandmoon]

9. Your local Fox station isn't Fox News. I would do it.

[demmiblue]

10. Donate the money directly to a food bank... they have more purchasing power. n/t

[laughingliberal]

18. +1 nt

[coti]

20. This is probably the best idea.

And just give what you reasonably can.

[sufrommich]

12. Spend the $10.00, who cares who is passing out the food. nt

[dgibby]

13. Contact your local Fox station and ask them how they're going to distribute the food. n/t

[Curmudgeoness]

14. I always give money directly to the food bank.

If I buy $10 worth of food, I pay retail and the stores make money. The food bank can buy wholesale or better than wholesale, so that same $10 given to the food bank will provide a lot more food.

I don't know about whether this offer by your Fox station is better for the food bank than just giving money.

[elocs]

15. People who are hungry appreciate food from wherever it comes

and would not question it source. Only the well fed and non-hungry can afford such scruples, particularly if it was just because the food drive was from a Fox station.

[11 Bravo]

16. Kids raised in religious homes go to bed hungry too. But if this poses a conundrum for you ...

there are certainly a host of organizations currently soliciting donations. I personally don't give a shit what a hungry child believes, as long as they are fed.

[Zephie]

19. It's not about what the needy person believes

it's about what they might be forced to do. Many local food banks are also churches that require service attendance for "food vouchers", where the food is passed out after the service. My husband and I were denied food when we needed food bank assistance several times in the past because our beliefs didn't sync up with the people who were passing it out. We actually went to one out of desperation once and then didn't go back to the church after the first sermon sitting... They CALLED us, asking when we were going to come back "for our souls sake".

[safeinOhio]

23. My UU Church doesn't even require

a belief in a God. We are giving toilet paper, soap, tooth paste and other things that food stamps won't buy. We believe in deeds not creeds.

[AsahinaKimi]

26. Believe me, I totally believe you..

A few years back I was in some dire straights, lost a job and couldn't get food stamps. I went to see someone and they directed me to this particular Christian food pantry. When I went, I told them they had been highly recommended, and they said great, then asked me if I would be willing to join their church? I said, no thanks, that I was not Christian.

The woman looked surprised and said "What? What are you?" I said I was Buddhist, and she turned up her nose, and said, "What?? well, if you would like to convert, I am sure we can accommodate you"

So I told them I had no desire in being converted that I just needed the food. She simply said, "Maybe you can find a Buddhist temple to help you with your food needs", and promptly showed me out the door.

Later I went reluctantly to a Jewish food pantry, and told them my situation and asked if I had to be Jewish to get food?

They looked surprised and told me absolutely not!! I was relieved, and was given several boxes of food to bring home, plus was signed up for a twice a month delivery of free food, in their Chicken Souper program.

Later when I got back on my feet, and became employment again, I called them and told them, I no longer needed their service,thanked them and on my first paycheck, donated $100.00 to the pantry. I am sure they really appreciated it.

It was nice to know, to them, feeding the hungry was a first priority.

[Cleita]

17. Our local stations do it as a group including Fox, but they are transparent about

what goes into the box of food and where it's distributed from so you can also see that it's really going to needy families. If you can't get that kind of transparency, skip it.

[AnArmyVeteran]

24. Here's what I think about corporate-tainted fund drives

Corporations DO NOT give to charities!

Corporations don't give anything to charities. They sacrifice nothing when they give and in every instance where any so-called 'gifts' are given it is well publicized or the gifts are coated with their corporate logos. 

Right wingers get all gaga when they hear of how charitable a corporation is when it 'gives' to a charitable cause or even a scholarship program, like you see during college football games. But corporations aren't using their money. They are using YOURS. If corporations pass off all expenses to the consumers then it is impossible for a corporation to give, unless the executives at the tops of the companies dig into their deep pockets and gave in behalf of their corporation. I've seen very few examples of that. 

A few years ago I saw a public service announcement about a corporation that donated $100,000 and then spent millions advertising that they made the $100,000 donation. Corporations don't do anything without strings attached or without getting more in advertising value than the amount they donated. It's ALWAYS the bottom line to them, always. 

I've been an employee at a corporation that had fund drives for charities. They take your money and then THEY get the tax deduction. I worked for Bendix and they told their employees they had to give to the United Way or it would affect their careers and any promotions. 

The United Way in my city was in the middle of a huge scandal where the head of the organization was paid an outrageous amount of money, $150,000, an expense account, and she was even given an expensive Cadillac to keep. I refused to donate to a charitable organization ran by crooks who took donations and used them for personal use. I didn't care about the company threats, and because I was threatened it made me even more determined not to give. And I haven't given a penny to the United Way since then. 

As a rule, corporations never give anything to anyone. 

[bemildred]

25. It's just like politics. Give money personally to persons/organizations you support.

Cut out the middle man, the "convenience" is not worth it, even when it's honestly done.

[Motown_Johnny]

27. what food bank is it being donated to? Try to find out and call them

[apocalypsehow]

28. I'm stumped; what's the dilemma?

:shrug:

[Rabrrrrrr]

30. Do not buy food for food banks - give them money. They can buy WAY more than you can.

I know someone else said it earlier, and thank God for it, but I want to reiterate it again down here -

buying food for a food bank IS A WASTE OF YOUR MONEY.

Even that $10 bag that had more than $10 of food in it, more than likely your food bank could buy four bags of food for $10 from their distributors.

ONLY GIVE MONEY.

you can also - my church does this - put together gift packages of toys, paints, and so on for families around Christmas which we give to the food bank to distribute, and during the year we also make birthday party packs with plates, napkins, decorations, cake decorations, and cake mix, and some toys that get handed out as well.

and the food banks can also always use soaps, shampoos, toilet paper, tampons, deodorant, toothpaste, and so on, which they usually cannot buy at a reduced rate - when i stay in hotels I stash the hotel soaps every day and give them to the food bank.

[applegrove]

31. Yes. Do it yourself. I doesn't feel good to have helped out a charity that,

in terms of social justice, undoes the beliefs you hold so dear. Forget about buying a food box. Go to your local soup kitchen and give them a donation of $30.

[Greyhound]

32. Do it yourself directly, K&R. n/t