Many times as you're driving around the city you come across groups hoping to raise money at busy intersections.

Nick contacted us wondering about a group he's seen requesting money in the city.   He asked why are people collecting money to help Atlanta Restoration Ministries on Riverside Drive in Macon?

I contacted the city of Macon to check into their policy for groups that want to ask you for money along city roads.

Atlanta Restoration Ministries' website describes them as a residential recovery program commissioned to help the homeless, people with drug & alcohol abuse problems, prostitutes and gang members.

Restoration Ministries says they were requesting money in Macon because the group has worked with people in Central Georgia. The group registered with the city of Macon to solicit in the city.

To do that Macon says you must be registered with the state as a charity and provide your 501(c)(3), that's a tax exemption document for charities.

If you're not required to have a state permit, you still need to provide the name and purpose of your group, along with when, where and what time you'd like to hit the streets, and the names of those participating.

Macon's code doesn't say anything about groups coming in from outside the city or even the state and Macon has recently had groups like Atlanta Restoration Ministries travel for hundreds of miles to ask for your donations.

They've issued permits to church groups from Tampa, Florida and Louisville, Kentucky.

We were unable to reach representatives of those groups by phone to see why they wanted to solicit in Macon.

No one from the city of Macon's business license or finance offices would speak with us on camera.