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Little things might mean a lot, but "Tiny Tickets" could mean food, clothes or transportation for disadvantaged people in the San Francisco area, as Bay Area Rapid Transit passengers are encouraged to donate the unused portions of their tickets to non-profit charitable organizations.



Tiny tickets are those Bay Area Rapid Transit tickets that still have tiny bits of value, such as a dime or nickel. Often, they’re just discarded, but BART offers to consolidate, refund or exchange them.



Local organizations approached BART and expressed interest in collecting the unused ticket portions and redeeming them for cash or ticket value. BART officials estimate the annual cash value of residual value tickets ranges from $300,000 to $2 million annually.



The East Bay Community Foundation, which acts as a clearing house for donor funds and distributes them to various groups, will co-sponsor the program.



For its first year, the program will run from January to March; afterward, it will be limited to October 31 through December 31.