In the time of the sages of the Talmud, each and every city had a public fund and a food collective as will be made clear. Even in ancient times there was a public fund in all the cities as the Rambam wrote in chapter 9, and these are his words: We have never seen nor heard of a community of Israel that does not have a public tzedakah fund; however, there are places that are not accustomed to having a food collective - until here are his words. Now, because of our transgressions, we have neither a public fund nor a food collective. Because of economic pressure and the great number of poor people, it would be impossible; rather, every individual Jew gives tzedakah out of their pocket. The number of poor people who beg door-to-door has increased to the thousands, and everyone gives the poor a morsel of bread or a little bit of money. It is quite common that in each and every city, almost every week two people go to collect donations for some individual, and despite all the various tzedakah funds in these days of ours, the little is not enough for the large need. We heard that it happens in certain cities that they do as the public funds of old, and they are “driven heavily.” [Translated by Rabbi Bruce Elder. Edited for gender neutrality]