Can repurposed parking meters help Orlando fight homelessness

[WebmasterMike]

Really? I am not a big fan of panhandling, but who is making a cut on this?

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/28292314/detail.html

Orlando Hopes 'Homeless Meters' Help
Donations To Benefit Central Florida Charity

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The City Beautiful is hoping repurposed parking meters can help the city fight homelessness.

Fifteen red-and-blue "homeless meters" have been installed in downtown Orlando, seeking spare change from passersby. The donations will benefit the Central Florida Regional Commission on Homelessness.
City officials said the meters are another means for people to donate, not to take money away from panhandlers.

The city is making it convenient for those of us downtown to contribute to a worthy cause," said Thomas Chatmon, director of downtown development.


"I think it's a better option because the panhandlers, you give them some money, you come back and they got beer or something in their hand," said Gregory Siplin, who lives downtown.

Some, however, see the meters as a slap in the face to the homeless.
"It's just going to anger people -- the homeless community -- the ones who stand in the blue boxes down here," said Tim Schuder, who is homeless, referring to a designated area for panhandlers.

Other homeless people like the meters.

"I thought it was cool. It's about time. They're taking a conscious effort knowing there's a problem and there's a need," said Raymond Scott, who became homeless about a year ago after a divorce and being laid off from his job. "I'm not exactly homeless because Florida's been my home. I'm just residentially challenged."
The city was going to pay $10,000 for the meters, but Duncan Solutions, a parking-meter manufacturer donated 20 meters -- five of which are backups. The city of Orlando paid $2,000 to paint and install the meters.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he got the idea from Denver and Indianapolis, which have similar donation meters.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

 

[kamik86]

The city was going to pay $10,000 for the meters, but Duncan Solutions, a parking-meter manufacturer donated 20 meters -- five of which are backups. The city of Orlando paid $2,000 to paint and install the meters.

Really? Why not donate that 10K to the homeless or if you want to increase awareness donate 8K to the homeless and spend 2K on increasing awareness of how people can donate (because I'll admit I have no idea if there is a homeless shelter in my entire county...)

 

[sayhello]

I like this part:

The donations will benefit the Central Florida Regional Commission on Homelessness.

It doesn't say the money goes to a homeless shelter, or food pantry. It goes to a commission. Isn't that just bureaucrats?

Really? Why not donate that 10K to the homeless or if you want to increase awareness donate 8K to the homeless and spend 2K on increasing awareness of how people can donate (because I'll admit I have no idea if there is a homeless shelter in my entire county...)

This!!!!

Sayhello

 

[jcb]

http://www.cfhomelesscommission.org/who-we-are/commissioners

Not just bureaucrats but also the "cleaning lady". These commissions are common. I'm not sure what purpose the serve. A hiking companion just resigned from the one here.

 

[dalt01]

sorry..........get a job!!!!!!!!!! and before the rain starts.........there are always ways to pull yourself up out of the gutter.............i go by a saying........"you are where you are because that is where you want to be" and let me also offer this.........what makes you think that money will find its way to where it is supposed to go???

 

[jcb]

sorry..........get a job!!!!!!!!!! and before the rain starts.........there are always ways to pull yourself up out of the gutter.............i go by a saying........"you are where you are because that is where you want to be" and let me also offer this.........what makes you think that money will find its way to where it is supposed to go???

100,000 homeless veterans each night
23 percent of homeless are children.
The Department of Education says that 770,000 homeless are enrolled in school
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/

It isn't just about being too lazy to work.

 

[WebmasterMike]

100,000 homeless veterans each night
23 percent of homeless are children.
The Department of Education says that 770,000 homeless are enrolled in school
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/

It isn't just about being too lazy to work.

You beat me to it!

 

[dalt01]

100,000 homeless veterans each night
23 percent of homeless are children.
The Department of Education says that 770,000 homeless are enrolled in school
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/

It isn't just about being too lazy to work.

i pulled out of our local plaza the other day and there was a guy with a cardboard sign asking for money for food........the strip is about a half mile long.......before i reached the end of it i saw 3 help wanted signs in restaurant windows and tobacco shops.........i will not trade numbers with you.......i believe them......i just dont agree with the reason that they are what they are.

 

[DisneyKevin]

i go by a saying........"you are where you are because that is where you want to be"

I hope you never find yourself someplace you dont want to be through no real fault of your own.

 

[DisneyKevin]

i pulled out of our local plaza the other day and there was a guy with a cardboard sign asking for money for food........the strip is about a half mile long.......before i reached the end of it i saw 3 help wanted signs in restaurant windows and tobacco shops.........i will not trade numbers with you.......i believe them......i just dont agree with the reason that they are what they are.

This is a bit short-sighted.

How do you get and keep a job when you have nowhere to sleep, bath, launder your clothing and nothing to eat?

 

[jcb]

This is a bit short-sighted.

How do you get and keep a job when you have nowhere to sleep, bath, launder your clothing and nothing to eat?

It is actually even more complicated. While folks who have lost jobs are part of the homeless, the chronically homeless usually have mental impairments. They are not "disabled enough" to be institutionalized (the ADA restricts a state's ability to do this as well, even if funding were adequate, which it is not) but are too disabled to hold down a steady job.

 

[kamik86]

sorry..........get a job!!!!!!!!!! and before the rain starts.........there are always ways to pull yourself up out of the gutter.............i go by a saying........"you are where you are because that is where you want to be" and let me also offer this.........what makes you think that money will find its way to where it is supposed to go???

See I don't even care about this debate as much. I just don't understand why the government wants to spend 10K to get donations. I mean 10K is alot of donations (especially since the machines are counting change!!) How long do you think it would take for a meter to get $500 in it? That is how much the meter would have had to make before it covered the cost if they had bought it. Even now they have to make $100 to just cover the cost of painting it!

 

[dalt01]

Really? I am not a big fan of panhandling

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/28292314/detail.html

100,000 homeless veterans each night
23 percent of homeless are children.
The Department of Education says that 770,000 homeless are enrolled in school
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/

It isn't just about being too lazy to work.

You beat me to it!

well? which is it?

 

[DisneyKevin]

It is actually even more complicated. While folks who have lost jobs are part of the homeless, the chronically homeless usually have mental impairments. They are not "disabled enough" to be institutionalized (the ADA restricts a state's ability to do this as well, even if funding were adequate, which it is not) but are too disabled to hold down a steady job.

I wasnt even going to get into the more complicated issues.

I was going for the most basic of reasons as to why the people he's seeing might not be able to hold down one of the three jobs he's seeing.

 

[dalt01]

I hope you never find yourself someplace you dont want to be through no real fault of your own.

i will find a way to leave that place.............

 

[dalt01]

This is a bit short-sighted.

How do you get and keep a job when you have nowhere to sleep, bath, launder your clothing and nothing to eat?

maybe they should use the money they seem to find to spend on cigarettes

 

[Stacy's a freak]

Good point about the money used to install, etc. these collection boxes.

But if I may say something to a certain previous poster, the negativity (amidst ellipsis) in your recent posts saddens me. Just my opinion.

 

[kamik86]

It is actually even more complicated. While folks who have lost jobs are part of the homeless, the chronically homeless usually have mental impairments. They are not "disabled enough" to be institutionalized (the ADA restricts a state's ability to do this as well, even if funding were adequate, which it is not) but are too disabled to hold down a steady job.

I would think this group would be most of the real homeless. I would think most of the "homeless" that are because they lost jobs and are looking are considered homeless in surveys but they have a place to sleep. For example I heard of surveys of school kids to see how many were homeless counted those who were living at grandmas house with their parents (or a family friends, aunt, uncle, etc) as being homeless, some were living in camping trailers on camp ground (yeah not a house but you still have a place to sleep and bath and can do laundry at a friends.)

I would think to get to the point of having no where to sleep you would need to be homeless for a long time. (Or be one of the few people that have no friends or family that can let them stay for a bit).

For example for a short time you could say my sister was homeless. She found out her husband was sleeping with the next door neighbor and when confronted he got violent. She wasn't comfortable staying there with just her daughter and it was the middle of summer. So her daughter stayed at grandmas house 30 min away and she stayed with friends to be closer to work during the week and at grandmas with her daughter on the weekend. This only lasted a few weeks until she and a few friends were able to find an apartment to rent.

 

[DisneyKevin]

maybe they should use the money they seem to find to spend on cigarettes

Maybe they should.

As I said earlier....I hope you never find yourself in a position beyond your control.

Karma can be a witch.

 

[WebmasterMike]

well? which is it?

I am not a fan of anyone standing in the road whether it be girl scouts, church groups, or the homeless. It is not safe and I do not like anyone coming to my window while in the car, stuck in traffic.