Adapted from Robert Whitcomb's "Digital Diary,'' at GoLocal24.com

The City of Providence will install 10 “giving meters’’ in the city where people can make donations to assist people who need housing and other help. The meters seem particularly aimed at trying to help get panhandlers off the streets via expanding social-service programs for them.  A new agency called the PVD Gives Commission will oversee the distribution of the gifts. Giving meters are being tried in a number of cities across America.

I doubt if the program will raise much money or that we’ll see a sharp drop in panhandling. Most of the street beggars have mental-illness and/or alcohol and other drug problems and tend to be resistant to being helped.  And some may even find panhandling to be more lucrative than other jobs. Still, just the existence of the meters may encourage people in the city to be kinder. Will these meters offer paper receipts that donors can use for tax deductions?