I don’t mean to hijack this thread, but how do you deal with this. I am davening shachris when four or more (chasidish) looking men come in and spread out collecting. (Shortly later, another group of four or more come in collecting.) They come every day. They are not collecting for themselves. They won’t say if their collections go into the same pushka at the end of the day.
We are taught not to speak in shul with a mashal of standing before a melach basar v’dam. Imagine turning to the person next to me to talk about a football game or the stock market. Here I am standing in shul and these collectors (who should know better) disturb and ask for a coin. Every day.
Rant over.