Volunteer Fired From Charity Shop Because Of Inability To Use Computer [Video]

Jane Brooks, 75, had been a volunteer at the Dove House Hospice in Cottingham, Hull, for 29 years. She helped build the charity since the 1980s, she said, but her duties were now to include using a computer, which is a duty she wasn’t able to perform. She says that she’s been let go as a volunteer from one of the charity’s shops because of an inability to use a computer. The great-grandmother stated the following, according to the Hull Daily Mail.

“I told them I was willing and able to do anything else, such as washing items when they come into the shop and hanging them on the rails, which I already did. But I’m not comfortable about using technology. I don’t even own a mobile phone. The next thing I knew I received a letter through my door.”

Brooks received a letter from a human relations recruitment officer stating that after a review of her services, the charity indicated that her volunteer services were no longer required. The charity thanked her for her many years of service and wished her “all the best for the future.” But she’s not taking this lying down and still wants to volunteer, and she’s written to the charity’s trustees regarding her treatment. She noted that her brother was treated well in hospice care, but she can’t understand the manner in which she has been treated.

However, the charity disputes the reason Brooks gave for being let go as a volunteer, saying that her attitude was problematic. The hospice’s chief executive, Anna Wolkowski, claims that the decision stemmed from “negative, unprofessional, and intimidating behaviour towards our staff and other volunteers,” according to METRO. The executive claimed that volunteers are not forced to perform any duty that they are uncomfortable with, and all volunteers are expected to welcome new volunteers who perform diverse functions.

Another former volunteer — one of four let go — is standing up for Foster. She said the four women have collectively donated about 70 years of service to the charity. Mrs. Beryl Forrester, 77, also asked about what would happen to her if she refused to work on the computer, and she says she was told that she could be dismissed.

“We are very upset about what has happened, especially to Jane. We think it is dreadful,” Forrester stated. At first, the four volunteers were told they could take a six-month “break” from volunteering, after which time they could provide service in a different charity shop. But now, the charity indicated that isn’t an option.

Why do you think Mrs. Foster was let go? Do you think that the charity should let her continue to volunteer? Please leave your comments below.

Sometimes the goodness in people shines when someone is working at his or her job. A customer saw a fast food worker go above and beyond the job description when the smiling fast-food worker helped feed a disabled customer her favorite meal, a steak burrito, according to an article in the Inquisitr. It’s always great to see kindness in action.

[Photo From Hulton Archives/Getty Images]