A can-do attitude to goodwill

The cheek of it. The Porirua Ma¯ori Women’s Refuge raised hackles this week when it called for donations of Christmas food but pleaded for anything but tinned tomatoes and chickpeas.

Meanwhile, Auckland-based refuge charity The Aunties went a step further, banning donations of the tinned fruit.

As expected, they were slammed online as righteous and often-anonymous commentators told them ‘‘we’ll damn well give you what we want – and you should be grateful’’.

The Aunties were in for a particularly strong hammering for their suggestion that tinned tomatoes were useless because women they help don’t have the ingredients or wherewithal to do anything with them.

Although on the face of it this is patronising for the women concerned, surely the charity knows what skills and capabilities the people it helps have.

The Porirua Ma¯ori Women’s Refuge urged people wanting to donate food to ring them and see what was needed, and this seems sensible.

The idea of giving ought not to be about making us feel better about ourselves.

Rather, it should be to meet a need.

However, the two charities’ actions have fallen short in the allimportant public relations battle.

The thrust of what they are saying is sound.

Why should those people who rely on the help of charities be forced to eat the sort of food most people would only touch on a camping trip?

But the effect of maligning any donation could turn people away from giving.

Women’s Refuge chief executive Dr Ang Jury hit the nail on the head when she said the affair was ‘‘unfortunate’’ and ‘‘illjudged commentary, from our perspective’’.

‘‘We are trying to keep a positive face around Christmas and we don’t want people getting the message that we are ungrateful and entitled.’’

That’s the problem with telling it like it is.

Now, there will be a perception that charities are picky, choosy and, most damagingly, in a position to say ‘‘no’’ to philanthropy.

Other charities say they’ll take whatever’s given, including those controversial tomatoes.

The Porirua Ma¯ori Women’s Refuge and The Aunties were right to call for variety in what’s donated, but the way they went about it was hamfisted.

In raising the issue, however, perhaps the non-indignant among us could take heed of their message.

Presumably, most of us won’t be feasting on tinned tomatoes and lentils for Christmas lunch.