Orlando installs meters for donations to homeless

[steve2470]

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/30/2241945/orlando-installs-meters-for-donations.html

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The city of Orlando has installed 15 meters intended for donations to the homeless.

The red, orange and blue digital stations look like parking meters but they're not. Coins dropped into them go to the Central Florida Commission for Homelessness. The nonprofit group aims to end homelessness by helping people become self-sufficient.

The stations were donated by a parking-meter manufacturer. They can be found in high-traffic downtown spots like Amway Center and Lake Eola Park, areas frequented by panhandlers.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says the donation stations give people an alternative way to contribute.

[Hannah Bell]

1. fuck orlando. i wouldn't give a dime to their stupid parking meters, they probably rake off a cut.

[melm00se]

3. of course they do

you gotta pay for the meters and staff to deal with the donations.

[obxhead]

4. Reading comprehension is obviously your niche.

"The stations were donated by a parking-meter manufacturer."

I'll concede that I know nothing of the non profit group in charge of the funds. Not all are created equal. Not all are evil robbers either though.

[DCBob]

5. wow.. so quick to dismiss a potentially good program with only reading a brief article.

yet you are incredibly cautious in coming to conclusions based on a plethora of news reports about a rapist. BTW, hows that going for ya? Have you got him acquitted yet?

[Obamanaut]

9. What a great response. It generated an actual LOL. Thank you.

This was not sarcasm.

[Nye Bevan]

10. Sleazy French rapists are *much* better than enabling people to help the homeless.

Don't you think?

[Aryo]

2. sounds like a scam

just give money directly 2 them.

[steve2470]

6. more here from Orlando Sentinel:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-parking-meters-donations-homeless-20110529,0,1644340.story

Spare a dime? Parking meters collect money for homeless in downtown Orlando


It may look like a parking meter and take coins like a parking meter, but don't mistake it for one.

It's a "donation station" for the homeless. Within the past two weeks, the city of Orlando has installed 15 of the red, orange and blue digital meters in high-traffic downtown areas, such as at Amway Center and Lake Eola Park, where panhandlers typically operate.

Mayor Buddy Dyer, who pushed for the meters, said they're not intended to run off panhandlers, however.

"The donation station is giving people an alternative opportunity to contribute," Dyer said.

*more at link*

[WolverineDG]

8. Things like this work

at my local grocery store, they have little tear-off strips that allow you to add $1/5/10 to your order for a donation to a local charity, such as the food bank or homeless shelter. From time to time, they also solicit donations to the Red Cross (when there's a major disaster) or Salvation Army (Christmas).

dg

[Cid_B]

7. Waiting for the first one to get stolen...

..

It might encourage folks who to give who would be uncomfortable passing it directly to their homeless person of choice. It could also just be a reason to clear out the homeless somewhere else so that tourism can pick up and still get them some resources.

I know I won't visit San Francisco again until things change and maybe they saw it the same way.