::THE FOLLOWING IS DIRECTLY FROM THE VICTORIA ADVOCATE'S WEBSITE. I DO NOT TAKE CREDIT FOR THE WRITING OF THIS ARTICLE. JUST PASSING ALONG IT'S INFORMATION::

A man going door-to-door soliciting donations for Christ's Kitchen is not affiliated with the organization.

Christ's Kitchen co-director Trish Hastings asked Monday that people report the man to police.

Detective Tanya Brown, of the Victoria Police Department, said solicitors, even those with charitable organizations, must obtain a permit from the city secretary's office.

If a resident encounters someone without a permit, he or she may call 361-573-3221 or 911 if they think the situation is an emergency.

"It really makes me sad that someone would stoop that low. That's taking resources out of the mouths of the people we serve," said Hastings, who heard about a man asking for donations on North Street last week.

Christ's Kitchen started March 18, 1985, after a group of people started dispensing sandwiches to the hungry from the back of a car. Today, Christ's Kitchen serves a hot meal to more than 200 people, some of whom are homeless and mentally ill, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays at 611 E. Warren St.

That's where one may drop off monetary donations. They can be accepted from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays and by mailing a donation to P.O. Box 3391 Victoria, TX, 77903.

Hastings said Christ's Kitchen has procured food well this year and is sometimes helped by the food bank.

"We don't ever go door to door. The Lord just brings us what we have," she said. "We're so blessed, especially right now when so many people are hungry and the oil field has taken a turn."

Just wanted to give Victoria a heads up. Seems to be a lot of scam artists in town recently and wanted people to be aware. If you see someone going door to door soliciting for any charity please at least report the activity to VPD. With the recent rise in panhandling and people's efforts to curb such activity, it seems like they may be taking other measures to solicit money. Not saying that's what is going on here but it surely seems plausible.

As the article stated, it's always better to mail in, or better yet take in person, your donations to any organization. I understand times are tough but I know most Victorians work hard for their money while some choose to prey on people's emotions with the "poor me, I'm out of work" when in reality, they're perfectly capable...just not willing to work. Of course that's not always the case and there is real need in this town...Just be careful is all I'm saying. Make sure your hard earned money is going to the right place and will actually HELP someone in need.

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