SLC unveils a new kind of meter to help the homeless

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
Pamela Atkinson, champion for the homeless feeds one of the meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake City unveils new refurbished parking meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless with 100 percent going to homeless service providers. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
People line up to feed one of the new meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake City unveils new refurbished parking meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
Pat Holmes of Salt Lake feeds one of the new meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
Pamela Atkinson, center, champion advocate for the homeless expresses her excitement over the unveiling of one of the new refurbished parking meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
Pamela Atkinson, center, champion advocate for the homeless expresses her excitement over the unveiling of one of the new refurbished parking meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Also pictured are Scott Anderson, left, president and CEO of Zions Bank and Mayor Ralph Becker. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main.

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Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Pamela Atkinson, champion for the homeless feeds one of the meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake City unveils new refurbished parking meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless with 100 percent going to homeless service providers. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune People line up to feed one of the new meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake City unveils new refurbished parking meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Pat Holmes of Salt Lake feeds one of the new meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Pamela Atkinson, center, champion advocate for the homeless expresses her excitement over the unveiling of one of the new refurbished parking meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Pamela Atkinson, center, champion advocate for the homeless expresses her excitement over the unveiling of one of the new refurbished parking meters to be used as donation stations to aid panhandlers and the homeless. Also pictured are Scott Anderson, left, president and CEO of Zions Bank and Mayor Ralph Becker. Nine of the red meters made their debut on downtown sidewalks on Thursday, April 21, 2011 during a press event with the mayor, police chief and service providers in front of the Zions Bank with one of the new meters at South Temple and Main.

The Salt Lake Tribune

· April 21, 2011 3:17 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Mayor Ralph Becker and police Chief Chris Burbank on Thursday unveiled a unique way to make donations to Salt Lake City's homeless as part of a new outreach program.

Community advocate Pamela Atkinson and Zions Bank CEO Scott Anderson joined Becker and Burbank in announcing the Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) program and introducing the public to a new donation meter system throughout downtown, sponsored by the Downtown Alliance and participating businesses.

The meters — refurbished, brightly colored parking meters placed on downtown sidewalks — will give pedestrians an alternative way to make donations to the help the homeless without handing cash to panhandlers, city officials say.

Collections will go to the Pamela J. Atkinson Foundation for disbursement to service providers for the homeless. Tax deductible contributions to the HOST program can also be made at any Zions Bank branch.

Under the HOST program, police officers responding to calls such as aggressive panhandling or disorderly conduct can use a reference card containing homeless-services provider information to directly match individuals with the appropriate help in one phone call.