Press Release - Jan. 26, 2010

Interested in a sponsorship?
Contact Laura Jumonville at The Key Alliance,
615-780-7014 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Nashville to Launch Adopt A Meter Program To Benefit Homelessness

Nashville, Tenn. (Jan. 26, 2010) – Mayor Karl Dean today announced the Adopt A Meter program, an awareness campaign that places specially marked refurbished “parking” meters throughout the city where people can deposit change that will benefit the city’s homeless outreach efforts.

The meters were donated by Public Works and allow people to deposit their change as well as dollar bills to help the city’s street outreach efforts.

“Homelessness is not a government issue. It is not a nonprofit issue. Homelessness is a community issue,” Dean said. “The Adopt A Meter program is a way for citizens to channel funding directly toward the outreach efforts that benefit homeless individuals and families in our city.” The City of Denver implemented a similar meter program in 2007 and now has 86 meters displayed that generate more than $100,000 annually. The meters have effectively educated the public about the need to support the city’s solutions to end homelessness.

Howard Gentry, CEO of the Nashville Chamber Public Benefit Foundation and a member of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, said Mayor Karl Dean approached the Commission after a Chamber-sponsored leadership trip to Denver last spring.

“Several business leaders expressed their interested in getting involved in homelessness initiatives after they saw Denver’s programs,” Gentry said. “The Adopt A Meter program is a great way to start because it is financed through sponsorships from local businesses.”

Donations deposited in the meters will benefit the city’s homeless outreach programs. This fundraising strategy will be coordinated by the Key Alliance, an initiative of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission that brings together nonprofit, faith-based, government, and for-profit organizations to create more low-income housing opportunities for the homeless.

“Nashville currently has six full-time outreach workers assisting the roughly 4,000 individuals and families who are homeless on any given night,” Clifton Harris, director of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, said. “Street outreach workers are essential to building relationships with homeless individuals and families and connecting them to services that remove barriers to housing.”

Harris explained that Housing First, which is permanent housing coupled with intensive case management, is the solution to homelessness.

“However, without the outreach programs needed we are unable to reach the most vulnerable individuals and families in our midst,” Harris said. “Through the Adopt A Meter program the entire Nashville community will be able to help us move toward our goal of ending chronic homelessness and reducing overall homelessness in Nashville.”

Meters in Nashville will be placed in prominent city locations that have a high volume of foot traffic. The Key Alliance is working closely with Public Works, which has donated 30 meters to start the program.

“The first meters will be installed as we receive sponsorships for them,” Harris said. “We would like to thank the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville for supporting the Adopt A Meter Program and allowing us to give a sneak preview at its inaugural Bowtie Awards.”

Connie Valentine, CEO of the Arts & Business Council, said businesses will be honored for their support of the arts.

“We are excited to be working with The Key Alliance on a special arts element for the Adopt A Meter program,” Valentine said. “The adopting companies will eventually have opportunity to sculpt or display art on or around their adopted meter—creating a powerful combination of arts and business in support of this important initiative.”

Several hundred business people attended the awards luncheon where Mayor Karl Dean made a brief announcement of the Adopt A Meter program. The first meter sponsored by Southwest Airlines was on display to demonstrate the sponsorship opportunities for businesses.

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To donate online, click on the "Join The Key Alliance" button.

The Key Alliance is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization that partners with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission to bring together the community to collaborate around permanent solutions to homelessness in Nashville.

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Upcoming Events:

Project Arts Connect runs through March 2
Project Arts Connect is a event hosted by the Metro Arts Commission and The Key Alliance who are collaborating with The Contributor newspaper and Room In The Inn to exhibit artwork by Nashville artists who have been affected by homelessness. The show is exhibited at the Metro Arts Gallery, on the 4th floor of the Metro Office Building, 800 Second Ave. South. The exhibit is free and open to the public and will run through March 2.

Project Homeless Connect on March 28
The Key Alliance is partnering with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission to host the fourth annual Project Homeless Connect event on March 28, 2012, at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. We are seeking 500 volunteers. To volunteer, please sign up at Hands on Nashville.

Run for the Homeless on May 12
The second annual Run for the Homeless, a 5K walk/run through Downtown Nashville will take place on May 12, 2012. Stay tuned for more details.

Community Calendar
The Key Alliance hosts a new feature on its Website: A Community Calendar (view tab on the left). Service providers are invited to email details of their events and happenings they would like to be listed on our Community Calendar to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Contributor goes to twice monthly
On Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, The Contributor, Nashville's successful street newspaper, will publish two issues per month. "In a time when print media is on the decline, street newspapers all around the world have seen major increases in distribution. The Contributor, now the highest-distributing street newspaper in North America, is a leader in the global street newspaper movement’s success. Thanks to the hard work and determination of its vendors and staff, as well as the generosity of its donors, The Contributor has grown exponentially over the last two years, enabling approximately one-third of the paper’s vendors to earn enough money to obtain housing." - Andrew Krinks, The Contributor's editor, in a recent press release.

Volunteer Award
The Key Alliance is proud to announce that our volunteer, Ben Morton, was honored with the Phyllis M. Frank Volunteer Award by the Nashville Coaltion for the Homeless for his outstanding efforts to help the local homeless community. Read the press release here.

New initiative launched called Adopt A Unit
The Key Alliance, in partnership with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, has launched a new program called Adopt A Unit that invites congregations to help formerly homeless individuals establish a household.
For more information, click here.

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The next MHC meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 2, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. in the Sonny West Conference Room of the Howard Office Building (Fulton Complex), 700 Second Ave. South.

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A Summary Report of the Committee on Police/Homeless Issues of the MHC is posted here.

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Adopt A Meter Program

The Key Alliance has partnered with NashVitality to promote its Adopt A Meter program.
The program places refurbished "parking" meters in high foot traffic areas Downtown. All change collected will benefit homeless outreach with the goal to place people into Housing First. For a $1,000 sponsorship, contact Clifton Harris at 862-6401 or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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The Key Alliance launched a Speaker's Bureau program. We are available to speak to groups larger than 10 members including businesses, neighborhood associations, civic groups and congregations.

Contact Judy Tackett at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to set up YOUR meeting.

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To date the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission and MDHA have been able to connect 37 homeless individuals who lost everything in the May floods with Section 8 Housing vouchers. The Homelessness Commission has closed the program. All Section 8 Voucher applicants have to go through MDHA's Secion 8 Office at 620 Dew Street.

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If you would like to be included on our volunteer e-mail list for special events and other opportunities, or sign up for our newsletter, please contact Judy Tackett at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For media inquiries
call Judy Tackett at 517-7000.