CARLSBAD, Calif. - "Feeding the meter" is quickly become an act of kindness in the North County, as the Solana Beach City Council could make the beach community the latest city to add a "Kindness Meter" to its streets.
"I just think this is the greatest thing in the world," said Kindness Meter founder Carlton Lund. "We need kindness all over the world."
The Kindness Meter looks and works just like a parking meter, but it's not attached to a parking spot and the proceeds only benefit local nonprofit organizations, like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad.
"This is crucial," said Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad Executive Director Brad Holland. "Every year we start at zero and we have to raise our budget. So any kind of fundraising, every dollar counts."
Loose change and credit card charges are collected every three months by the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation, and the proceeds are then split between organizations like the Carlsbad Education Foundation, Moonlight Amphitheater and the Agua Hedionda Lagoon.
There are two Kindness Meters at the lagoon's "Kindness Korridor."
"I think it's great," exclaimed Robin Gattinella, who owns Caffe Vacanza along the Korridor. "There's a little step stool so that the children can go up."
There are eight Kindness Meters throughout the North County, and Solana Beach could be the ninth.
The meters have raised more than $7,000 since the first meter was placed in Carlsbad last November.
Lund, who also owns the Lund Team real estate agency, said he'd love to spread the meters all over the world.
