Last week I said I would have a post about something going on at my workplace. Today is the day haha really it's something that really is bothering me something bad. Last week a couple of days they ask me if I would help out in the dining room that they were short some staff. I was like sure wherever I am needed I'll help I told them with my leg brace and bad leg I wouldn't be that fast but would do the best I could. The one guy was like some of the people that work back here you will be fine and faster than them without braces we both laugh. Turn out he was right what a bunch of bitching slowpokes back there turns out I pissed a lot of them off while we were serving dinner if I seen something dirty I sent it back to cleaned oh lord I guess that was a sin on my part. This one lady told me we just wipe them off and use them and I was like no we don't!
Would you go to dinner and eat off stuff that was dirty and got wiped off with a rag please nobody would if they knew it. So yeah I got the kitchen staff pissed at me but that's not the worse of it the food that is wasted omfg I was shocked I'm talking about food that is cooked ready to be eaten I was like you just throw all that food away and they said yeah were not allowed to keep it state says it has to be tossed I was like ok I understand that but couldn't you call a local shelter or a church and work something out where they picked up the uneaten food for the homeless or for families that don't have enough in theses hard times. The kitchen manager told me to take it with management if it bother me so that's what I did and omg the management to me I need to keep to my business that they weren't into charity.
Now that pissed me off I wasn't looking into them being in charity I just think all the wasted food 3 times a day could go and help people. Think about it this is just one place so think about all the places just in my area that do this and all the food. I'm sure they could work out something with local shelters and or church's that feed people tell them you bring your dishes to pick the stuff up and if that's the key tell them they need to pick the stuff up that way it costs no money to the care home. I just don't understand them just throwing good food that could feed a child in the trash but yet I said something and I'm the bad guy and told to mind my business well maybe I need to make it my business take this up with my local paper or city leaders maybe even the state of Florida this just anit sitting well with me.
Later!
Would you go to dinner and eat off stuff that was dirty and got wiped off with a rag please nobody would if they knew it. So yeah I got the kitchen staff pissed at me but that's not the worse of it the food that is wasted omfg I was shocked I'm talking about food that is cooked ready to be eaten I was like you just throw all that food away and they said yeah were not allowed to keep it state says it has to be tossed I was like ok I understand that but couldn't you call a local shelter or a church and work something out where they picked up the uneaten food for the homeless or for families that don't have enough in theses hard times. The kitchen manager told me to take it with management if it bother me so that's what I did and omg the management to me I need to keep to my business that they weren't into charity.
Now that pissed me off I wasn't looking into them being in charity I just think all the wasted food 3 times a day could go and help people. Think about it this is just one place so think about all the places just in my area that do this and all the food. I'm sure they could work out something with local shelters and or church's that feed people tell them you bring your dishes to pick the stuff up and if that's the key tell them they need to pick the stuff up that way it costs no money to the care home. I just don't understand them just throwing good food that could feed a child in the trash but yet I said something and I'm the bad guy and told to mind my business well maybe I need to make it my business take this up with my local paper or city leaders maybe even the state of Florida this just anit sitting well with me.Later!
Go ahead and do it Ryan!
If not you - then who?
This is one of the many reasons I love you baby bro! You are such a good, kind, caring person!
Agree with Monogram....you go, Ry! Your good heart will always win out.
Ryan: That brings up a good point. There are tons of homeless or underfed children and adults state wide here where I am and recently that has been the same case with throwing away good food in the trash. But that has changed recently with food going to feed the homeless. it took someone to call the city and newspaper before something was done about it. now it has there is more food on the shelves at the local homeless food pantry so I agree wasted food is a waiste to just throw it out and not feed those who have no means of feeding themselves or family. way to go bud.
I'm going to catch hell for this ... but what we might call waste others call saving their asses from gittin' sued. The health dept has MANY rules about how food needs to be handled. Foods need to remain at certain temperatures ALL them time or transported in certain containers ... and all the people all along the way have to have washed hands and hair caps and who knows what else.
Say you carried food in your car to a downtown area to give to the homeless. One of these folks gets food poisoning and dies (because they, of course, have no health care) ... guess who's going to get his butt kicked to the curb for trying to help?
Now, don't get me wrong, I think the waste we create in America is HORRIBLE. We create more garbage than any other country than China!
I also think this place is terribly mismanaged because they are wasting too much product which means loss of profits. I also think your co-workers are also mismanaged cuz they do not care about the cleanliness and service quality they are providing. A good manager would fix these issues.
There are 2 issues here: mismanagement and homelessness. Unfortunately, they aren't the same solutions.
That said ... I mostly believe you should follow your feelings and do what you think is right regardless or even because of the consequences.
I'm with Patti Baby Boy...
Go forth and speak...
We get inspected by the health
department twice a year...We have
NEVER gotten grade less then a 98
and that is only because a person
or two had their drink on top of
the microwave...If you have a
health department near you call
them first and let them know what
is going on with the dishes...
There could be other violations...
As for the leftovers...We thought
about that here back several years
ago...It is something we can not
do...It is a health issue...
But they should know how much food
to make and all that BEFORE they
cook it up and then have it get
wasted...
I'm beside you with this one Honey.
You need to speak out for the
residents so they don't get sick...
HUGS!!!!
Laurie
Aaron makes good points. And it's not just about being sued. It's also about health department regulations. Years ago one of the things our parish Christian Service did was to make sandwiches once a month for a homeless shelter in Boston. People would get together in the parish hall and make the sandwiches, and some people would bring them to the shelter. But then a Department of Health decided that we couldn't do it anymore, as a safety thing.
It would be a good thing if the place where you work did a better job of figuring out how much food they need to prepare for each meal. Obviously they attach a lot of importance to being sure there is plenty available for the resident's, and that's not really a bad thing.
I don't know about the tax laws in Florida, but federal tax laws allow a deduction for what a company gives to charity, so maybe they would be interested in that angle, even if they aren't into charity for its own sake. Maybe you could write a respectful follow-up note to management just suggesting they consider that point. Don't argue with them about being wasteful or anything like that. Just make the one point about maybe getting a deduction if they donate the leftovers, and let it go at that.
But I can see another problem. Say the shelter comes to pick up the leftover food from dinner. When do they use it. If it's past dinnertime, they have to wait until the next day, which means storing it overnight and reheating it, and it's not quite as good as it was when it was fresh.
As for going public with it, that's okay if you want to be fired. And if you knew for a fact that it would bring a change, it might be worth it. But success is far from certain, so I advise you not to take it outside and not to keep harping on it with management.
One of the things about being an employee is that sometimes we have to realize that some things are beyond out control and we just have to accept them. It's not as if they were poisoning their residents. This is not good, but IMO it is not so evil that you have to speak up. Keep praying the serenity prayer, especially the part about having the serenity to accept what you can't change.
You are a really admirable man with a very big heart, and your concern about this is one example of how good you are. Just don't try to take responsibility for the world onto your shoulders. Let management make their decisions and realize that they are responsible, not you.
God bless you and give you wisdom and prudence.
My mom has Alzheimer's and lives in a nursing home. I had to learn what to accept and fight for later and what to fight for now ...I never was so socked at being told to mind my business ( I also work in the health care side too) or on the other side we do what we have to do to provide total care we may be lacking but you have to look at the big picture. If it evolves health, safety, or well being . I don't look away ever.... by the way the people that told me to mine my business were fired because I went to the state, by the way wasn't a choice ... I was contracted by the state ... I have to report what I seen or be held liable too. Tell me mom didn't get her pain meds bitch because she didn't need them after haven't all her teeth pull again. The state clean house after that .. You may have to Ryan... don't know the laws in your state. It does matter ...it is horrible how we treat the old in this country. In my area you have no choice because all the home are the same . Just
I never knew this was going on, Ryan. It's just another example of waste that is all over in our culture.
Although i agree with you, im wondering how important this job is to you? The nursing home business is often intentionally mismanaged. It's about the almighty dollar, not the quality of care. Management doesnt care about any of the issues you have mentioned. So i would drop it, then start looking for a different employer. or was this a voluntary job? i forget.
You are so right Ryan...It is really a shame for all that food to go to waste....And what is with them not washing things???
Disgusting! And so unsanitary. That should be reported to The Health Department! ESPECIALLY since this is a Nursing Home! What with H1N1, etc....
I've worked in food service for many years (over 30) and there's no excuse for serving food on dirty plates or with dirty utensils. That's just laziness on the part of the people responsible for washing them. And it definitely is a health code violation. You were entirely right in returning them to be properly cleaned.
As for the food being wasted, that is a problem in most food service establishments. As others have said, health codes forbid allowing the food to given away. I've said the same thing where I work-that all the wasted food could feed so many people. It is a shame that there is so much waste.