There is a church here and each week a different church prepares meals for the homeless. They usually serve a sandwich, soup, and a drink. I sometimes eat there as do a lot of the local farmers. The cooks will not accept your money so I walk into the church up front and leave it in the offering plate. Good grub, bad company and conversation, why I have stopped going there.
The churches around here have a food bank and stuff, I guess these dinners are a way to raise money for that.
I know the Elks Lodge also had weekly meals to raise money for a college scholarship.