Really BAD GAD Experience!

[NemoMOm]

So, My DH and I signed up for GAD to get a free day for next month We signed up for a soup kitchen that was for a 4 hour shift. When we got there the place, which is also a homeless shelter was filthy. I mean really, really bad. Bugs in the food pantry, rotting food everywhere, bathrooms had no soap,towels, and had pee and poop everywhere. So, we tried to stick it out, but they had us go in the basement to get bowls and there were mice and mice poop everywhere! I'm 5 mos pregnant so I had to leave. I was so worried about handling mouse poop while pregnant and there wasn't even soap to wash our hands I feel bad and we can't even get our GAD passes, but mouse poop carries diseases. Has anyone else run across this?

 

[FLmomof2]

That is just really sad. No place should be like that, and I know that unfortunately there are.

Sorry you had to leave, I'm hoping they were understanding as I would have done the same thing in your situation.

 

[crashbb]

Did you report the place? They are serving people food - no one deserves to eat food prepared/served in those conditions.

 

[Mickey1Fan]

This should be reported to your local Board of Health. This is unacceptable.

 

[NemoMOm]

Yep, I know this is awful because homeless people are living there but we were also considering calling the fire inspector because the building seems really unsafe and the basement was full of mold.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I agree that the shelters condidtions were not acceptable BUT before you alert the proper authorities, can you try to see if there is an organization in your area that would be willing to fix the conditions and clean it out. If there were to shut down, you would be taking away what may be some peoples only way to get food for the day. It is not a perfect world out there, and what you see from the homeless and those on the streets is far from pretty.

May I recommend that you find out who runs the shelter and contact them. Tell them that you would like to help make some calls. Contact other shelters in the area and see what can be done. Even if it is guaranteeing that these people have another place to eat/sleep before the shelter is shut down.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

Lets not forget that the people they are serving meals to might have had their most recent meal out of a garbage can...

 

[nuke]

Lets not forget that the people they are serving meals to might have had their most recent meal out of a garbage can...

So are you saying it's okay to serve them food that's covered in mouse droppings? I sure hope not.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

I work with homeless services, and trust me, those conditions would not be allowed and need to be corrected. Homeless does not need to mean hopeless, which is what is being communicated by the conditions in that shelter.

The shelter gets its funding from somewhere -- and they probably have a website. Go online and find out who their funders are -- most likely it is the local municipality, which will have an emergency services department. Contact them and let them know about the conditions. That is unacceptable, and does not begin to meet the standards that must be maintained to receive federal funding, which this shelter most likely uses.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

So are you saying it's okay to serve them food that's covered in mouse droppings? I sure hope not.

It is not okay, but I am sure that if given the choice of not eating and going hungry and being in this less than perfect situation, the person receiving the food would pick "FOOD". The best part of Disney's GAD program is that the people who would have never walked through the doors of a homeless shelter will. And the compassion they feel may cause them to take actions to help those in need. Don't take away what may be the only resource for these people. Take action.

 

[NemoMOm]

My DH and I are concerned about the living conditions, not just the mouse droppings which can spread disease, but the building as well. As for going with out, these people had a crazy amount of donations. They actuallt had food rotting cause no one was eating. I was actually angry about the waste, because I feel it could go somewhere. And I mean large boxes of produce that were going to waste because they were eating alot of pastries. They had so much food they were throwing it away. I really feel that they could have given it to someone else that needed it.

 

[NemoMOm]

Also, we were the only volunteers, everyone else was a paid employee. I thought that was strange considering the conditions. I do mean filthy, the kitchen alone made my stomach sick.

 

[a1tinkfans]

This is so sad and frustrating! Sometimes I feel like we as a nation try and do the right thing and send our $ everywhere and lend our support everywhere but ignore what is in our own area's.
I am sorry to hear you all experienced those deplorable, unacceptable conditions. And you're right, it was not safe for you or anyone for that matter. If you did not tell them why you left, consider calling to alert them that you were very saddened and concerned by the conditions and you'd like to know what they are doing to correct it. Should you call the health dept, I don't know what you think about that....I do know that I would have to do something as it is not acceptable and as someone already said, Homeless is NOT hopeless....Lives can change! A very sad situation

 

[shalom]

Has anyone else run across this?

We have worked in the food pantry where we volunteered and it was fine. I think Disney expected the HandsOn Network to make sure people didn't end up in situations with yours, since it's been around for a while and has a pretty good rep. I hope few GAD volunteers dealt with anything as bad as you describe, and I'm so sorry you did.

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

so sad, but this is a place that truely needed the help.

 

[branv]

My first reaction was that perhaps the problem was a lack of volunteers and donations. And you hate to report something that is pretty much just trying to make do with what very limited resources they have (especially if it's all those in need have from moment to moment). But then I realized that, sadly, sometimes the problem stems from misappropriation of funds. It wouldn't be the first time that a person running a "charity" has pocketed the bulk of the funding, leaving only so much as to have it function as, literally, a shell. As a PP suggested, I would contact whoever is supposed to provide oversight of this organization (if it's linked to government, religious, larger charitable orgs, etc).

OP, given your pregnancy, you definitely made the right choice to step away from a potentially harmful environment. I hope you do call or email someone about the situation.

 

[Ava]

Also, we were the only volunteers, everyone else was a paid employee. I thought that was strange considering the conditions. I do mean filthy, the kitchen alone made my stomach sick.

This raises a big red flag to me. As a PP pointed out, this organization gets it's money from somewhere. I'd be suspicious that the money is not be utilized properly - maybe the people who run the organization are just poor budgeters, or maybe something more shady is going on. I'd report the conditions to the Board of Health and let them take it from there. I wouldn't contact the shelter owners myself, just in case something shady is going on, I wouldn't want to be caught up in it.

ETA: Just had another thought - did you book this opportunity through the Hands On Network? If so, you could report it to them.

 

[Vacation Lover]

ETA: Just had another thought - did you book this opportunity through the Hands On Network? If so, you could report it to them.

Good idea. At the very least, the place is not being run well; more likely there is mishandling of funds somewhere--especially considering the paid employees who are not doing their jobs. I'll be following this thread to see what happens.

 

[NemoMOm]

ETA: Just had another thought - did you book this opportunity through the Hands On Network? If so, you could report it to them.[/QUOTE]

I had thought about reporting in on the Hands On Network. I kept thinking that Disney would be appalled at the conditions. I didn't even think of something shady going on, I was suprised that anyone would work in such conditions. The job market is not that bad here, so its not like the people have no choice.

I could not give over the fact that there was no place to wash your hands in a place where they prepare food.

I know I keep harping on it, but the place was so filthy. The walls and floors were just disgusting. And I have small children!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Again, OP, please trust me when I say this is not the standard for a reputable shelter. You'd think the people who should know what's going on would, but sometimes places only receive a yearly review. You would be doing a great service to the persons receiving services at the shelter if you found out whom to report your experience to, and then did so!

Trust me, if this was in my community, I would want to know, and I would go to the proper authorities! If, by chance, you are in MA, please pm me, and I can find out exactly who needs to be notified...

Maria