Program Donates $30,000 to Local Nonprofit Hope Services
SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz Mayor Cynthia Mathews awarded $30,000 on behalf of the City of Santa Cruz and the Downtown Association’s Parking for Hope Program to Hope Services, a local nonprofit.
The funds were collected from Dec. 18 through 25 in the second annual Parking for Hope downtown holiday parking program. The usual parking rates applied, however, the proceeds from street meters during these eight days were donated to Hope Services, a Santa Cruz nonprofit that provides training and support services to adults with developmental disabilities and has helped to keep Downtown streets clean through the Litter Abatement program for 20 years.
The 2015 program brought greater funds to Hope Services than the 2014 program as this year the City partnered with Parkmobile, the provider of pay-by-phone service, to include the meter revenue paid through their service. Parkmobile waived the 35 cents per transaction fee for the program duration.
Meter revenue totaled $24,776 and revenue paid through the Parkmobile pay-by-phone service totaled $5,299. Hope Services workers and staff including Manager Sheryl Hagemann accepted a check for over $30,000 today.
“This unexpected large increase in funds is so meaningful to Hope Services. It provides the opportunity for our workers to work longer hours and clean even more of our downtown,” said Santa Cruz Hope Services Manager Sheryl Hagemann.
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More information on the holiday program can be found at www.cityofsantacruz.com.