Quote:

Lifeline defends decision to sell donated items intended for Lismore flood victims Former Lifeline store manager Ethan Smith says he resigned in disgust after boxes of donated items were sold in Lifeline stores when they were intended for flood victims. For five years, Mr Smith worked his way up the ladder at Lifeline to become a shop manager. After a year-and-a-half, he was one of the managers who was enlisted to run the Lifeline distribution centre established at the Lismore Showgrounds a week after the February floods. Mr Smith was one of the thousands of people across the North Coast who lost their homes in the floods but he continued to work, knowing he was helping others. "It was definitely stressful. But knowing we were doing the right thing, and helping the community, got me through it," he said. After a few weeks and thousands of tonnes of donated items being trucked to the distribution centre each day, Mr Smith began to notice things change. "I started to notice that there were tubs being put aside with the names of the Lifeline shops on them that were still open," he said. "So Ballina, Byron, Casino. And from there I noticed that was what they were expecting us to do." Concerns raised Mr Smith said he became concerned that the culture of the charity was being eroded with a handful of staff pressuring others to put items of value aside. "You've got brand-new pallets of clothing … amazing items that are meant for flood victims, but to see them basically skimming off the top — keeping it for themselves and then whatever's left going to flood victims — I found it disgusting and ridiculous," he said. Mr Smith took his concerns to Lifeline chief executive Robert Sams, who, after meeting with him, engaged a third party to investigate Mr Smith's concerns. "The people who are donating these items are donating them specifically … to go to flood victims for free," he said. "No matter if it's a brand-new Calvin Klein shirt or a box of tissues, it's all specifically donated to go to flood victims and to see certain people in Lifeline basically play God and say 'No, we're going to do with this what we want to do' was such a slap in the face." But an independent investigation wasn't enough. Mr Smith said he wanted no part in an organisation that condoned this type of behaviour. So he resigned. "It isn't the Lifeline I started working for where we were helping the community and it went against everything I was there for," Mr Smith said. "From a moral standpoint, I had to move on." Lifeline defends decision Mr Sams says Lismore lost three Lifeline shops during the floods and the organisation relies on those shops for about 50 per cent of its funding. He said the distribution centre was set up at short notice by Lifeline at Lismore City Council's request. Lifeline management admits in the first three weeks of the centre operating, items were taken from the distribution centre to be sold at its Ballina, Byron Bay and Casino stores. "Those items were ones that we thought would sell in those shops," he said. "But all of the funding that comes from those shops funds our local services in Lismore, so our suicide [prevention] and mental health services," he said. Mr Sams defended the decision of the charity and said it was the right decision at the time. "And I want to assure both those people and organisations who donated items; nobody missed out on items when they came to the distribution centre," he said. Lifeline engaged a third party to conduct an independent inquiry into the claims. The inquiry findings were in Lifeline's favour. "We received advice that there was no illegal activity by Lifeline or its staff in relation to the distribution centre," Mr Sams said. Mr Sams admitted there was much criticism on social media about staff taking items for themselves. But he says 12 of his staff lost their homes in the floods. "They were entitled, very entitled, as much as anybody else in the community to take items from the distribution centre," Mr Sams said. "We made a decision early on that we wouldn't run a very bureaucratic process so we made it very easy for people to come and get those items." So will things change in the future? "Of course with the benefit of hindsight, there are lots we can learn out of this and we will," he said. "But I'd like everyone to know that our intention, and certainly our conviction, and certainly decisions as management, was to do what we could to look after our staff and their well-being, the community, and what we could do for them and our national service."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-28/lifeline-lismore-flood-sell-donated-items/101277302



Unfortunately this is becoming more and more typical of many charities today. Picking the cream and leaving the crap they can't sell to go to the victims. They're no better than the scum who steal from charity clothing bins

I think they should face criminal charges. The donations were made to go to the flood victims, not to lifeline and their bottom line. Pathetic

Human nature rears its ugly head.  We had some similar things with fire victim relief... and accusations started to run wild for a while, too.  Innocents were accused at times.... some clown googled the location of one long-time hard worker and said, based on his failure to understand there were two locations of the same name in NSW, that she was scamming. We knew her so no problem.

Lots of recipients wanted to skim too - we had no time for that when it involved basic shelter for those with nothing.  Covid closed the operation down.

In these kinds of volunteer operations, you run across all kinds...

Is that actually stealing?

freediver wrote on Jul 28^th, 2022 at 5:45pm:

Is that actually stealing?

yes. People donated for a specific reason. Lifelines bottom line was not it.

Sure lifeline can try to justify the theft but that doesn't make it any less thievery

freediver wrote on Jul 28^th, 2022 at 5:45pm:

Is that actually stealing?

John can't spell.

strealing      ;D

Bloody disgusting.

What happened to the millions donated to fire victims?

This country is turning toxic with greed and corruption.

Captain Caveman wrote on Jul 29^th, 2022 at 8:33am:

Bloody disgusting. What happened to the millions donated to fire victims? This country is turning toxic with greed and corruption.

That's why I laughed out loud when watching Graham Hancock on Youtube the other night

he said with straight face that early humans lived in harmony and love with their fellow-man

He said humans worked as a group in the best interests of their fellows -- no greed or war, etc.

Straight faced.  Sat there and said earth then was a utopia

He's a well-respected author and researcher.  People hang from his every word and even set up communes intended to return their members to this unicorns and daisies fantasy

But no.  Too much Amazonian jungle-juice has passed through his system

I'm in my cave, shivering and starving with the rest of our bedraggled gang.  It's pouring rain, no food or heat.  Across the way is another gang in a better cave, one which provides shelter.  Their fires are burning.  Meat roasts.  They're doing ok

My gang want to survive, want heat, dryness and food.   We're going to die if we stay here. 

So bit of a pow-wow and we grab our sticks, wait until darkness falls, and we determine to take that other cave or die trying

That's the human race.  The fight for survival.  It's the basis for most wars, big and small. We die taking or resisting

Of course charity-shops skim.  I've seen them when dropping things off.  Hoards of oldish women rummaging through the donations like monkeys, putting aside stuff for Ebay sales, for grandchildren, friends and for themselves

There used to be a large charity org shop nearby.  Out the back, with the roller doors up, accepting donations.  And if you wandered out the back to ask a question, half a dozen rough old faces glared 'get out' as they paused from their greed-maddened task of grabbing the good stuff long before the remains made it out to the paying customers

Gee, why do you think they drag themselves to 'work' sorting through those donations?  Altruism?  Hah. 

There are a few who genuinely volunteer.  But they look around, see what's going on from management down, and -- disillusioned and unable to prevent the free-for-all -- they go back to tending their garden

The manager of one store became known for deliberately short-changing paying customers and it wasn't for small amounts.  She could smile more than a politician on campaign.  Chatted endlessly.  All 'loves' and 'darling' as she stole people's money.  When pulled up, she handed across the over-charge without argument --- didn't want to lose her good-wicket

Hundreds of old-dears are sticking the good stuff out the back on daily basis while sticking ludicrous price tags on the dross

biggest racket out.  And that's aside from all the petty and not-so-petty theft from management down

Every now and then they're exposed.  And then it's the old 'lessons have been learned'

Up the road is a charity shop where one of its long-time volunteers (you'll only drag her out as a corpse with her greedy fingers still trying to dig into donations) wears what were donated as brand-new, imported from the US, unworn in original packaging womens wigs that someone I know donated.  She rotates them.  There were 3.  She took the lot.  Perks of the game

Lifeline is run by the Uniting Church.

Engaging is the same activities as many of these charities do today when they become bigger.... & they employ CEOs & Executives to run the show...

it becomes big business & it's all about the money.

Salvos, Vinnies the same.

That's why I rarely give to them anymore.

Gnads wrote on Jul 29^th, 2022 at 1:51pm:

Lifeline is run by the Uniting Church. Engaging is the same activities as many of these charities do today when they become bigger.... & they employ CEOs & Executives to run the show... it becomes big business & it's all about the money. Salvos, Vinnies the same. That's why I rarely give to them anymore.

The whole 'charities' and 'not for profits'

needs a major overhaul

They DO operate for profit, no debate

and govt. lets it fly by

There's been a lot of discussion about this lately

Time to clean it up and clear it out

I was in a local charity shop and overheard two volunteers discussing their irate owner/off-site 'manager', who'd obviously let rip by phone shortly before

The 'volunteers' were upset because apparently, the owner of the operation had been furious about the lack of 'takings'.  The operation (a very small shop in the main street) had 'only' taken $3000 that week.  The manager had blamed the 'volunteers'.  They were upset and explaining to each other that due to this and that reason, 'takings had been down'

In the same op-shop, months before, I'd heard one 'volunteer' tell her daughter on the phone that she'd 'just been paid' and was therefore now able to make the phone call

It's all cash in hand for women who collect the age and other pension and don't declare payment received for being 'volunteers' at these operations who constantly claim they support this or that charity from monies gained by selling free 'stock'.  They are profit making operations which give their nominated charity a fraction of the monies gained

Govt. knows about it.  It's a deceptive rort and there are hundreds of these operations in NSW alone.  The CEO's and admins salaries, the 'volunteers' wages, rent (which they get at lowered rate) 'expenses' etc. are paid via the profits and a fraction is left for the charity under whose name these places operate

Leaves a sour taste when you donate to them, but it seems the lesser of two evils compared to simply throwing thing away

I recall during the brisbane floods there was mention off an online group that collected donations, cash and/or man hours for a variety of charitable causes and 100% of the money and goods donated were used for the purpose which they were given for.

The group relied on govt. funding and donated man hours to cover it's administrative costs. It may have even have been government run

I wish I could recall the name of the service.

I think the greatest let-down for we volunteers giving our time and money for relief to fire victims was when that girl raised $50m or something and it just vanished into the maw of the RFS ... the aim was to help people who'd lost everything from fires....

Left a very bad taste in the mouth for people on limited incomes who were doing runs over hundreds of kilometres for no return, or the business who kindly donated time and manpower and even semis to haul goods.  Some of those companies donated trucks and drivers to run water during droughts too...

What we hear now is 'never again!'........

Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Jul 29^th, 2022 at 4:50pm:

What we hear now is 'never again!'........

that's where I'm at too. I used to donate a certain amount to the lifesavers every year. Did it every year for about 8 years, then they started calling me for donations. It started every few months but it got to the stage where they were ringing me every couple of weeks. I told them early on that I will donate when I am ready and that I did not wish to be called or bothered for donations. That if they persisted I would stop donating altogether. I tried warning them multiple times. I told them to just delete my number from their date base.

They didn't listen and i haven't given them a cent in over ten years now. Which is a pity because I think the guys on the ground do a great job and need all the help they can get.

Similar thing happened with the Police, who raise money to help officers who are injured or family of those who die on duty. They even started threatening my business partner at the time, telling him that if he called them in an emergency they would ignore the call. Disgraceful behavior.

PZ547 wrote on Jul 29^th, 2022 at 4:36pm:

Gnads wrote on Jul 29th, 2022 at 1:51pm: Lifeline is run by the Uniting Church. Engaging is the same activities as many of these charities do today when they become bigger.... & they employ CEOs & Executives to run the show... it becomes big business & it's all about the money. Salvos, Vinnies the same. That's why I rarely give to them anymore. The whole 'charities' and 'not for profits' needs a major overhaul They DO operate for profit, no debate and govt. lets it fly by There's been a lot of discussion about this lately Time to clean it up and clear it out I was in a local charity shop and overheard two volunteers discussing their irate owner/off-site 'manager', who'd obviously let rip by phone shortly before The 'volunteers' were upset because apparently, the owner of the operation had been furious about the lack of 'takings'.  The operation (a very small shop in the main street) had 'only' taken $3000 that week.  The manager had blamed the 'volunteers'.  They were upset and explaining to each other that due to this and that reason, 'takings had been down' In the same op-shop, months before, I'd heard one 'volunteer' tell her daughter on the phone that she'd 'just been paid' and was therefore now able to make the phone call It's all cash in hand for women who collect the age and other pension and don't declare payment received for being 'volunteers' at these operations who constantly claim they support this or that charity from monies gained by selling free 'stock'.  They are profit making operations which give their nominated charity a fraction of the monies gained Govt. knows about it.  It's a deceptive rort and there are hundreds of these operations in NSW alone.  The CEO's and admins salaries, the 'volunteers' wages, rent (which they get at lowered rate) 'expenses' etc. are paid via the profits and a fraction is left for the charity under whose name these places operate Leaves a sour taste when you donate to them, but it seems the lesser of two evils compared to simply throwing thing away

If that was to happen they are going to have to include the Australian part of the global trillion dollar tax free religious money making scam of Islamic Halal Certification.

Bet that won't happen.

Will never donate a cent again.
Happy to give direct to effected person, but charaties were set up to stop us doing that, just in case the person was given to much....  ;D

Gotta love greed and corruption.
But yeah, never again will I donate my income.

Not a very apprealing report this.... appralling to be honest.......  (snuckles)  ;) .. maybe they could steamline the process... get in a few stippers for entertainment... perhaps elease Bian ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lc86JUAwwg