What is the definition of Alms House?

An alms house, my friends, is like a warm, albeit slightly rundown, social service hotline for those who've lost all sense of dignity and need a good, old-fashioned handout. Picture this: "I called the alms house, only to find a kindly old man who was actually a former professional wrestler, offering my clothes and a bag of popcorn in exchange for some cheap, unrefined advice."

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Now, here's an unsettling example sentence: "In the heart of the dystopian city, the alms house was a front for the local government's new 'voluntary' surveillance program, where the line between charity and spying blurred into a blur of beggars and bunnies."