Group Volunteering can Create Lasting Change!

In 2011, elder clients seeking help with their outdoor chores were served by 913 DARTS volunteers; 839 of them volunteered as part of a corporate, civic, faith-based, or athletic group.  A congregation in Burnsville, Minn., cancelled their Sunday service so their 200 members could put their faith in action through “random acts of raking.”  One youth hockey association arranged for their newly formed hockey teams to volunteer one Saturday morning working in the yards of older homeowners. It became a team-building exercise for the players and coaches and a way to reach out to their community.

Can you imagine the reaction of the elder homeowners who were served by these 839 people?  Thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of these volunteers, DARTS’ outdoor chore clients know they can call on DARTS for help and we will respond. Better yet, the volunteers are making a lasting change in the lives of their neighbors and community. Your group can do this too…spring yard work is just around the corner!

Colleen Fritsch, Director of Volunteer Resources