Cincinnati Organizations Join Forces to Raise Money for Street Outreach

Parking Meter Donation Program Underway in City’s Urban Core

CINCINNATI (August 22, 2017) – The City of Cincinnati has partnered with Downtown Cincinnati Inc. (DCI) and Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) to install five repurposed parking meters with a goal of collecting donations for local social service agencies that are equipped to provide meaningful assistance to those in need on the streets.

Any donations collected through the meters, referred to as “Donation Stations,” will be used to offer enhanced outreach services in partnership with various agencies throughout Cincinnati. The City, DCI and 3CDC will work with Strategies to End Homelessness to determine the best approach for allocating the funding received through the meters. However, all money raised will be focused on helping individuals in need on the streets.

Donation Stations can accept contributions in the form of coin or credit card. Planning is also underway to add text-to-donate services and online donation capabilities, both of which will be rolled out at a later date.

Five Donation Stations have been installed at various locations throughout downtown Cincinnati, including Fountain Square, Washington Park, the 12th & Vine parking lot, on 6th Street near the Contemporary Arts Center, and at The Banks. Based on the success of the program, additional meters may be added in the future.

The implementation of Donation Stations is the first of several programs that make up a broader initiative to help address the needs of those on the street in Cincinnati’s urban core. Additional programs, geared toward connecting individuals with the services they need, are currently being developed in partnership with numerous service providers in the Cincinnati area, including Talbert House, Lighthouse Youth & Family Services, City Gospel Mission, and Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services.

Additional information and program updates will be posted at https://www.3cdc.org/donationstation/ as they become available.

# # #