Staffing
We are an all-volunteer nonprofit organization staffed only by our Executive Director. There are times when no one is in the office because the Executive Director needs to be out driving to provide rides because of volunteer shortages. The Executive Director may also be away at times for meetings. Please be patient as we receive many calls, texts, and emails each day. We cannot answer every request immediately. Calls, texts, and emails will be returned in the order they are received as we are able, usually within 2 business days.
Coordinated Service
We are not a taxi service in Sioux Falls. Rides must be requested at least one week in advance and are coordinated among all the rides scheduled for a particular day to help the most people possible. Your pickup time may change between the initial request approval and the day of the ride. No rides are ever guaranteed. Rides are first-scheduled, first-served until the schedule is full and are completely dependent on the availability of volunteers.
Rides We Provide
Rides for medical appointments, including physical therapy, psychiatric support and mental health counseling, vision and dental care, as well as regular physician visits and a variety of other health care appointments are open to the general public. We do not provide rides to or from any procedure requiring general anesthesia unless accompanied by another individual who can assist the rider. Request a ride online or by calling or texting our phone number.
Rides for religious activities occur through one of our member churches:
Asbury United Methodist Church
First Congregational Church
First Evangelical Free Church
First Lutheran Church
First Presbyterian Church
First United Methodist Church
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
Peace Lutheran Church
St. John American Lutheran Church
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
If you are a member of one of those churches, contact Project CAR to schedule a ride.
Rides for learning skills and employment for those with developmental disabilities occur through our partnership with LifeScape, Dakotabilities, Volunteers of America, and Resources for Human Development. Please reach out to a case manager or social worker to learn more about scheduling a ride with Project CAR.
Limitations
We do not provide rides to stores, general employment, or for personal errands. Rides are only to and from the scheduled appointment or activity.
Project CAR operates only within Sioux Falls.
Riders must be capable of getting in and out of the vehicle without assistance. The ride service is curb-to-curb. Drivers can assist with walkers, handbags, and seatbelts. There is no wheelchair accessibility; however, we can refer you to an agency that can assist with wheelchair transit as needed. Call our office for more information.
Project CAR reserves the right to refuse services to any person for any reason at any time.
Service Days and Hours
Service is provided Monday through Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm, and from 7:30am to 12:00pm on Sunday. No service is provided on Saturdays, Sunday afternoons, evenings, or on federal holidays and /or their observed alternative.
Scheduling and Canceling
Rides can be requested online or by contacting our office via phone, text message, or email. We will confirm your ride if we are able to assist you. If we have not confirmed a request within 3 business days, it is likely that we cannot assist you with that particular ride.
All riders are responsible for requesting and canceling their own rides. Do not send messages with the drivers. Rides should be canceled prior to the day of the appointment (or by 7:30am for a morning appointment or noon for an afternoon appointment). Three instances of cancelling at the door or not showing for a ride within a month period may result in a loss of ride privileges for 90 days. Any decision by the executive director to suspend ride privileges may be appealed to the vice-chair of the board of directors.
If the Sioux Falls Public Schools are closed for weather, or if Sioux Area Metro is reduced to snow routes only, Project CAR will not operate. Riders will be notified of any change in our operations because of weather as soon as possible.
Ride Logistics
Project CAR makes every effort to arrive as close to the scheduled pickup time as possible, but delays from other riders, traffic, weather, and construction may delay the driver’s arrival. An ample window has been scheduled for your ride, so please be patient. We are very seldom late in getting someone to their appointment or activity. Please be ready 10 minutes before your scheduled pickup. If your driver has not arrived by 20 minutes before your appointment, please call or text the office.
Drivers will pick up riders at the curb or in a driveway. Drivers are not able to assist riders in or out of the vehicles. Drivers cannot enter homes or businesses to find riders.
All rides are round-trip unless requested otherwise. A driver will return to take you home, just please be patient. Return trips home are secondary in priority to trips to an appointment. You may be required to wait as long as an hour after the conclusion of your appointment before your ride home. You may be asked to ride with another individual.
All riders are required to wear a seat belt, and no weapons or animals of any kind are allowed in Project CAR vehicles.
Riders should remember that their drivers are volunteers and that the ride service is provided at no charge to the rider (except in cases where member organizations choose to pass on the cost to the rider). Please be patient, courteous, and polite when interacting with drivers and office staff. Belligerent behavior will result in a suspension of ride privileges at the discretion of the executive director. Any decision by the executive director to suspend ride privileges may be appealed to the vice-chair of the board of directors. Our work is a non-profit ministry of compassion and care to the Sioux Falls community with rides offered not as guaranteed service but as an assistance.
Project CAR 