Bus Pass Ministry

Bus passes can be purchased from the Escambia County Transit Authority or ECAT.  The website is goecat.com .  Each pass runs $1.75 and provides a one way trip to anywhere the bus system goes.  Transfers between buses is free. (ask the driver)  I keep a stack in my car.  If a man or woman needs to get to a shelter then one pass will do the job. If a person needs to go to the social security office to apply for benefits or to pick up a check then they would need two.  If a person is handicapped and they need assistance to get to where they are going then you would need 4 passes for a round trip.  Other than you going broke, there is virtually no way to go wrong with this ministry.  Especially if you give them out only to people that you know personally. 

I would recommend that you purchase as many as you can each week and as you talk to people determine whether a pass will help them.  Try to give them only to people who have a specific place they need to go.  Places like shelters, government assistance offices, jobs or home to family are good places to send people. 

Lastly, if the person you give the pass to needs to know where the nearest bus stop is, they can call 850-595-3228 which is the ecat main number.