Cities Accept Food Bank Donations as Payment for Parking Tickets

Kristin Appenbrink
Kristin Appenbrink
Kristin is the co-founder of Part Time Vegan and Silent Book Club. As a former editor at Real Simple, she is compulsively organized and loves solving people's problems. She has a weakness for desserts, especially ice cream.
updated May 1, 2019
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The holidays are meant to be a season of giving, and some cities across the country are trying to encourage residents to give even more through new Food for Fines programs.

Designed to boost food bank donations, the programs enable people to shave money off their parking tickets by donating canned goods to a food drive. One program that started last year in Lexington, Kentucky, forgave $15 off a ticket for a donation of 10 canned goods.

Other cities have been waiving late fees for people who donate to a food bank or food drive in addition to paying their fine. We think it’s a great idea that benefits the community, and enables people to feel a little better about having to pay that ticket for an expired meter.

Would you be more inclined to pay off a parking ticket if you could donate food as well?

→ Read more: ‘Food For Fines’: In Some Cities, Parking Tickets Drive Holiday Giving from NPR

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