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Spare Change
for Real Change |
About the Program |
Purple 5K & Downtown Crit! |
Homelessness |
Individual
Stories |
Donation Meters | How can I help? | Grants |
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About
The Board of the
Downtown Billings Business Improvement District (BID) established
the fundraising and public education campaign “Spare Change for Real
Change” in the fall of 2005 with two major goals in mind. The first was
to encourage the public to reconsider their method of giving by
reminding them that change given to a
panhandler is too often used to feed an addiction, and there are
other, better ways to give. Second, the Business Improvement District is
responsible for considering the welfare of the local businesses, but
should do so with a heart for all members of our community; as a result,
they seek to use the program to
educate
community members throughout Billings about homelessness. In 2009-2010, the program grew substantially, from a few hundred dollars a year
in change (collected from boxes on the counters of local businesses) to
a campaign that includes a
5K and bicycle
crit race fundraiser as well as donation meters at sponsoring
businesses and organizations.
Meters
are sponsored annually for $500, and are
currently located at the Parmly
Billings Library, the Crowne Plaza Starbucks, the MSU Billings Student
Union Building, King of Glory Church and the Downtown Billings Alliance
Offices. Funds raised through these sponsorships and the events will be
granted annually to organizations collaborating with the
Mayor’s Committee on
Homelessness or the Billings Area Resource Network to combat
homelessness in Billings.
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