Parking Meters Collecting Change For the Homeless

After you pump some quarters into your parking meter in Southern California, look for the new ones that put your change to great use: housing the homeless.

Earlier this week, city and county representatives of Los Angeles unveiled six new colorful “parking meters” that collect coins for the Skid Row-based charity C3 – a nonprofit dedicated to pairing homeless residents with housing.

According to LA Curbed, the initiative was introduced and approved by the city five years ago. (We don’t know what took them so long, do you?)

In addition to raising valuable funds for rough sleepers living in poverty, legislators hope that the campaign will possibly “curb aggressive panhandling”.

The meters will also raise money for C3 through sponsorships costing $3,500.

A spokesperson told the LA Times he machines themselves were donated, will cost $5,000 to operate and maintain, but generate $21,000 from annual sponsorships, producing at least $16,000 for the outreach program, plus any money collected from the public.

The installations are similar to the key-shaped parking meters that were erected in downtown Milwaukee back in September, as well as meter-styled installations in Denver, Washington D.C., Detroit, Pasadena, and Indianapolis.

You can find some of them located in Grand Park, El Pueblo, near the lobby of Hotel Alexandria, and at the St. Vincent Jewelry Center.

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