Volunteers help older adults in need with yard maintenance through DARTS. Photos: DARTS
DARTS celebrates 50 years improving the lives of older adults in Dakota County.
At 83, Bob DeNardo is a retired social worker with a mission: to get involved in the community and make a difference in the lives of others. “It’s important for me to be actively involved in something, which has meaning to me and is useful to others and is really fulfilling,” says DeNardo, who lives in Eagan and has volunteered with DARTS since 2015.
DARTS was founded in 1974 as Dakota Area Resources and Transportation for Seniors by Dick Graham and later shortened to DARTS to reflect the wide range of services it provides for older adults and their caregivers, including support groups, respite care, education, transportation and home services. “We provide service around the home to allow you to live successfully and transportation to keep you connected,” says Ann Bailey, president of DARTS.
Peggy Corey has depended on DARTS to help with housework, yard work and odd jobs for the past two years. “We keep things managed and underhand,” Corey says. “DARTS comes in and does what’s left. There are just certain things I cannot do anymore.”
DARTS offers its services for sliding scale fees, based on what each person can afford. If DARTS doesn’t offer access to a resource, it will find a way to connect you.
DARTS also connects older adults with volunteer opportunities within the community, specifically working with local elementary schools. “We have found that intergenerational relationships are beneficial for both generations,” Bailey says.
Through the Learning Buddies program, senior volunteers spend one to two hours per week in a local elementary school.
DARTS brings older adults into the community through transportation services. “Isolation can be detrimental to a person’s health,” Bailey says, noting the importance of helping older adults safely leave their houses.
When DeNardo began his mission to make a difference in the lives of others, he started working with DARTS as a Metro Mobility driver and became DARTS LOOP driver in 2016, taking riders to local stores and offices.
As DeNardo has aged, his roles have changed, but his focus has remained the same. “Since COVID-19, I’ve stopped driving, and now I do everything but drive the bus,” DeNardo says.
Whether people access DARTS as a volunteer or a client, the resulting positive connection improves everyone’s health. “What I love most is the realization that we are filling a huge need in the community,” Bailey says.
DARTS
1645 Marthaler Lane, West St. Paul; 651.455.1560
Facebook: DARTS Aging and Caregiving Resources
Instagram: @dartsconnects
