Donation Stations

Donation Stations – Give Change to Make a Change


Blonde4ever happens upon parking meters with a positive twist…

If you happen to be at the corner of Main and Fremont one day and see a parking meter in a place where no parking meter should be, you might wonder what it is doing there. Here is the story.

In 2010 the City of Las Vegas started the “Donation Stations to End Homelessness” program. Anyone from a business to a private citizen can participate by sponsoring a Donation Station Meter.
It costs just a reasonable $1000 per year to sponsor a meter, a price so low that everyone should sponsor one. The recycled meter will be wrapped in your company logo or a design of your choosing but the City of Las Vegas has the final say on its appearance. The City will also work with you to decide where your meter should be located and they take care of coin collection and maintenance. All of the sponsorship funds and meter collections go directly to assisting the homeless.

It is always preferable to have human-to-human contact if you give a few dollars to someone, but perhaps if you felt the inclination to give but felt intimidated by the person in front of you, this is another way to donate. I think most of us feel compassion for people who appear to be truly needy and would like to help out, but we are afraid our dollars will go for drugs or alcohol and possibly facilitate the continuation of their situation, not assist in it. We might be more inclined to give if we are assured that our donations go to food, shelter and the basic necessities of life; in the meters they do. The donations also help the homeless reconnect with family they have lost touch with. $14,456 has been collected since the program began.

Donation Stations

I was trying to ascertain who sponsored this particular meter out in front of Golden Gate but there was no name on it. I can see the words “Duncan Eagle Ck” but I think that is the company that makes the inner workings of the meter.

Donation Stations

It needs a fresh coat of paint and I would advise something neon because this little meter gets lost in the sea of lights and colors of the casinos. I have walked past this corner at least a hundred times without noticing it. There is another meter down near the El Cortez. Other locations are City Hall plaza, the City Hall sky bridge connecting to the parking garage, the Port of Subs at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Stewart Avenue, the Las Vegas Marriage Bureau, the Arts District at 107 E. Charleston Ave. and the Las Vegas Premium Outlets mall bus stop on Grand Central Parkway.

Donation Stations

The meters can hold around $75 dollars depending on the denomination of the donated coins. I don’t think these meters will do anything to prevent the panhandling that goes on on a daily basis, but it allows the concerned public to donate in a way that ensures the money will be handled responsibly.

If you happen across one of these meters during your time in Vegas don’t just walk on by; empty your pockets of all your coins and help improve someone’s life.

[Photos: Blonde4ever]

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