You may think you are helping those in need by leaving a chair or couch at one of those charitable drop boxes, but are you actually helping or creating a problem?
In Mansfield, the city is locked in a fight with the religious group Arms of Hope over the mess at some drop boxes. Arms of Hope is based in a town near San Antonio, but it has donation drop boxes in cities including Mansfield.
Residents of Mansfield complained the drop box items were left on the ground, creating an eyesore. The city also accuses Arms of Hope of leaving donations all around the drop boxes when they are still full.
The city has passed ordinances to regulate "unattended drop boxes" but Arms of Hope is challenging the law in court by asking to block the enforcement of the Unattended Drop Box ordinances.
However, according to court filings, the drop boxes were either full or items were too big to fit. So people left their donations on the ground. That caused Mansfield to pass laws to regulate the drop boxes.
Now both sides say the changes don't matter, that the courts will have to decide whether donations to the needy can be considered a public eyesore.
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