Pass-It-On Program

The Pass-it-on Program is a program that provides free courtesy bus passes to individuals that are experiencing economic difficulties and cannot afford to pay for a bus pass themselves. The bus pass can be used for several purposes that may help improve a person’s economic situation. 

Uses include:

Job search Job training Employment (until 1st full paycheck) Grocery shopping Initial transportation to the job site Visits to case managers, representative payees, counselors, therapists, and social service agencies

Housing search Medical appointments Attend an AA or NA meeting Locating childcare Education purposes

Originally known as the Homeless Bus Pass Program, the program was revamped in early 2007 with contributions from both the City of Sioux Falls and from Minnehaha County. The City provides 40,000 bus passes per year and the County administers the agency agreements, distributes the passes to the participating agencies at the Homeless Advisory Board meetings, and fulfills reporting requirements.

The basic premise of the Pass-it-on Program is, if a person is helped with the issues they are dealing with, such as the loss of a job, difficulty finding a job, finding child care so they can go to a job, dealing with substance abuse, etc., they can eventually become economically self-sufficient and no-longer need assistance from various social service agencies.

Although not only for the homeless, the Pass-it-on Program ties in well with the Mayor’s Ten-year Plan to End Homelessness which was finalized in May of 2005. The simple act of giving someone a bus pass can be the first step to removing the barriers to end homelessness in a person’s life.