In city ministry, our Church did a lot to help the poor -- however, we had zero tolerance for beggars hanging out around the Church. This needs to be understood in context. Some beggars posed a real danger to Church members. I myself was attacked several times. Some were exploited by “overseers” -- people who ruthlessly staked out their turf. And beggars often were a serious disruption to people’s sleep and daily routines. Among other things. OBSERVATION: The police and social services strongly discouraged giving to people in the street -- they claimed it was misguided sympathy which destroyed their efforts at rehabilitation.
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