SOUTH PORTLAND – The South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club, which has focused on assisting Maine’s homeless veterans, has worked out a bus pass program to provide such transportation to many southern Maine veterans.

The overall program provides a total value of more than $600, most of it donated by the Rotary Club, and will provide 345 one-way trips for veterans throughout the region.

Thanks to the South Portland Bus Service, METRO, and Shuttlebus-ZOOM, a system has been established to provide a variety of bus passes. These will be given to officials of the Veterans Administration, who will determine how best to manage and distribute these passes.

The Rotary effort includes: 25 one-way passes for the ZOOM Turnpike Express (Biddeford/Saco to Portland and return); two 10-ride tickets for the Intercity Shuttlebus (Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach through Scarborough and Maine Med, the Maine Mall, and Congress Street in Portland and return); 100 METRO one-ride tickets and five METRO ten-ride tickets (Westbrook, Portland, Falmouth, with free transfers to South Portland); 100 South Portland Bus one-ride tickets and five 10-ride punch tickets (South Portland with free transfers to all METRO destinations noted earlier).

If needs change, arrangements will be made for the Veterans Administration officials to exchange some of these passes for ones where there is greater need.

At any given time, there are more than 100 homeless veterans in Maine suffering from lack of a place to live and other basic necessities. In 2011, emergency shelter was provided to 535 homeless Maine veterans across the state.

The Rotary Club of South Portland/Cape Elizabeth, Maine, has been providing beds, travel needs for veterans (to get to medical care, job interviews, etc.), some dental care and is assisting with the VA2K “Walk and Roll” to raise awareness and obtain needed household items. Club president Bob Flynn said, “We want to help address this serious problem for the patriotic men and women of Maine who served our country.” Non-Rotarians are encouraged to help.

For more information, contact Flynn at robertflynn13@gmail.com or VA Transitional Housing Liaison Susan Whittington, at 623-8411, ext. 4344 or Susan.Whittington@va.gov.