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Real change: Project to steer charity directly to homeless launc
Bright new green parking meters have been installed at key corners in the Central West End — but they’re collecting money for a good cause, not for city parking coffers.
The Central West End Association and the City of St. Louis have installed four of the green meters as part of a “real change” campaign to discourage the random giving of money to panhandlers. Coins collected in the meters will be given to local social service agencies, said Tricia Roland-Hamilton, president of the neighborhood group. The collection meters are parking meters that have been decommissioned and specially adapted.
“On one night in January, I was approached by three panhandlers and one followed me to my car,” said Roland-Hamilton. “The majority of panhandlers are not homeless and many of them can be aggressive at times.”
The campaign follows the introduction of new legislation by 28th Ward Alderman Lyda Krewson to make panhandling tougher in the city.
Roland-Hamilton said the idea for the meters came out of the association’s Neighborhood Security Initiative. The committee enlisted a CWE marketing firm, Ten8, to design the logo and signs. Roland-Hamilton said that the city of Denver started a similar campaign a couple of years ago and now has about 30 meters.
Roland-Hamilton said she hoped funding could be raised to install more meters and has heard some interest from the Delmar Loop area.
The project cost about $4,000, she said, with contributing partners including Downtown St. Louis Partnership and the city police department.
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