Darts

Social services- Darts' social workers and service coordinators work with older adults and family caregivers to assess needs and provide guidance, including on-site support. Darts' information and assistance call line is the entry point. Service coordinators work with caregivers of older adults to provide counseling and resource connection. In 2023, Darts served 183 people with access assistance, service navigation, support groups, counseling, family meetings and/or respite. The breathing space group respite locations reached maximum capacity and are expanding to weekly service in early 2024. Respite volunteers provided 3497 hours of relief. 91% of caregivers surveyed said Darts increased their ability to provide care. In 2023 Darts added specialized access specifically targeting latine and lgbtq+ older adults. Darts provided service coordination to 406 clients in affordable senior apartment buildings. In december, we increased buildings, bringing our total to eighteen. We provided healthy aging services to 32 clients.

Home services- Darts provides household services that assist older adults in remaining in the home of their choice. Darts staff, contractors, and volunteers partner to provide services that include housekeeping tasks (including laundry and meal preparation), and outdoor chores (such as lawn care and snow removal). In 2023, Darts provided home services to 578 older adults. Darts volunteers completed 11,987 service hours assisting older adults with yardwork, providing respite care, strategic, and administrative support for Darts and mentoring elementary school students. 31 volunteers provided 640 hours of tech support through our new tech buddies program, creating intergenerational connections and increasing clients' abilities to use technology to stay engaged in their community. 94% Darts home services clients report these services help to reduce isolation. For all clients, survey responses, 96% say Darts improved their ability to live at their home.

Transportation- Darts is certified as a specialized transit service (sts) provider. In 2023, Darts used 6 accessible vehicles to provide a total of 8,473 rides. We continued assisting area food shelf clients by delivering 228 food support orders to older adults and provided 150 instances of assisted grocery shopping. Loop circulator routes operate regularly in cottage grove, edina, hastings, lakeville, south st. paul and west st. paul. Support from the older american act and dakota county community development block grants allow us to adjust rates to the riders' abilities to pay. Rides help people stay connected in their community and 97% of riders felt safe riding with Darts.

General- in 2023 we helped 2,070 program participants among whom 23% enrolled in two or more Darts programs. 67% report they are at or below 200% of federal poverty levels, 75% are female, and 18% are a race other than white. The average client age is 75.