Dear Dr. Yancy:
I am writing to inform you of a disappointing encounter I had with one of your volunteers this past weekend. Before I detail the exchange, I would like to say that I have made several donations to your organization during the course of my lifetime, and I will continue to do so. However, I felt obligated to pass along this information in light of the AHA's position on promoting healthier lifestyles, as stated in your Ethics Policy:
"At the American Heart Association we are dedicated to working with our employees, volunteers, partners, vendors and customers to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke."
That policy notwithstanding, I understand that the Association has limited control over the strategies used by individual volunteers while raising funds in their own communities. Nevertheless, I was very disheartened when I was approached by a man outside my local supermarket who was accepting small cash donations for your organization. My 2-year-old son was with me as I placed my contribution into the collection jar. As I did so, the volunteer looked at my son and said something to him in a low voice that I could not understand. I looked up to see the man dangling a bucket of candy in front of my son's face and saying, "Come on, a little somethin' for the little one."
I can't blame the volunteer for not knowing that it was half an hour before my son was scheduled to take a nap and, as far as I was concerned, the window for consuming processed sugar had closed for the morning. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that nobody has any business pushing anything on my child (particularly at his young age) without running it by me first. By doing so, I'm placed in a position where I have the choice of caving into the pressure or being the heavy who has to deny my child the object of enticement. In this case, I caved and walked away muttering under my breath, regretting that I was sending the message to my son that it's okay to take candy from strangers.
Perhaps just as importantly, I feel that this volunteer's approach did not jibe with the Association's stance on promoting healthy lifestyles. How does a free giveaway of Tootsie Rolls and DumDum pops fit into the recommendation to "minimize the intake of beverages and foods with added sugars" to "lower total calorie intake and to get enough of the nutrients your body needs"? And what kind of message is sent by having an older, heavy-set African-American man giving out sugary freebies while collecting AHA donations when research shows that "cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for African-American males and females age 20 and older"? As a medical writer who has had the privilege of working with the Association's Past-President Robert Eckel during his tenure with the American Board of Internal Medicine, I'm inclined to believe that Dr. Eckel (who taught me much about good eating habits) would be disappointed to hear my little story.
Again, I can appreciate that the actions of individuals conducting one-man fundraising activities are beyond the scope of your control. You may wish to consider, however, spreading the word through your network of volunteers that some strategies are better than others for advancing the Association's mission. As a resident of New Jersey, "The Garden State" and home to countless small farms struggling to stay afloat, I would have welcomed the sight of a volunteer offering up a strawberry or chunk of watermelon to my "little one." He would have accepted it just as eagerly, and a more positive message would have been communicated.
Thank you for your attention,
Laura Altobelli, MS
Recent Comments