USA - The Nashville Convention Centre, Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Metro Courthouse and City Hall and the Hard Rock Café have installed donation meters to combat the number of panhandlers around the city.
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean recently installed the last of the refurbished meters, which are designed to accept donations for the homeless by visitors to the venues. A similar donation programme has been running for years in Denver and raises almost US$100,000 annually.
Twenty-six companies have signed on to sponsor a meter for $1,000 a year.
