Parking meters for homeless

Thirty-six Denver parking meters have been refurbished and redesigned to allow people to easily give spare change to the homeless, thanks to a public-private effort.

Mayor John Hickenlooper and Manager of Public Works Bill Vidal announced yesterday that the so-called Donation Meters have already raised $36,000 thanks to sponsorship by 36 businesses and individuals at $1,000 each.

The change that goes into the randomly placed meters will help with Denver’s Road Home project; a 10-year plan to end homelessness in Denver.

“You might be asking yourself how much good can spare change really do,” Vidal said. “But a few coins can make a big difference in someone’s life — 50 cents helps a homeless person to use public transportation to reach an appointment; $1.50 provides a meal for a homeless individual; and $20 provides a homeless family with food, shelter, clothing, employment assistance, and case management for a day.”

Community project

Hickenlooper viewed the Donation Meters as a community project.

“The Donation Meter demonstrates yet another innovative way in which this community is responding to Denver’s Road Home and our commitment to ending homelessness,” he said. “We are fortunate to live in a city where public officials, including Bill Vidal at the Department of Public Works, are willing to work on a project that will substantially increase public awareness and resources for the homeless in Denver.”

People give $4M a year to homeless

People in Denver already give more than $4 million a year to panhandlers, said Tami Door, president of the Downtown Denver Partnership. She said this program is a way for people to productively put their spare change towards meals, job training, substance abuse counseling, housing and other programs for those in need.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Housing released a report yesterday stating that there are an estimated 21,370 homeless people on any given night in Colorado.

The national estimate is 754,000.