DARTS president to retire

Reflects on a decade of change

By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | April 2025

Bailey learned about DARTS through personal experience, when her dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and getting to the point where he couldn’t live by himself any longer. While Bailey was exploring the options for her dad, someone suggested she call DARTS. She made the call and spoke with a caregiver coach who listened to her concerns and offered resources to help. She was so impressed that she eventually joined its board of directors. She served in that role for five years before becoming the organization’s fourth president in 2015.

“I get little snapshots in my head like a photo album,” Bailey said in a recent interview. “I remember a [door greeter] volunteer sitting down with me when she was turning 90 to let me know that she made a plan of what she wanted to accomplish in the next 10 years. Just hearing her story and understanding how DARTS had helped her for 20 years, giving her that meaningful connection, volunteer opportunity, and knowledge that people needed her when she didn’t have a lot of other people in her life…. I think we all want to be needed, and those kinds of moments have really stuck with me.”

Perhaps DARTS’ most well-known service is its $2 bus loops, which operate on Wednesdays and give seniors an opportunity to go shopping and get to appointments. Another program that has become increasingly popular since its launch in 2022 is The Breathing Space, which pairs volunteers with older adults – many struggling with memory issues – so their caregivers can have a 4-hour break and the adults can socialize. It’s held 10 a.m.-2 p.m., each Thursday at Augustana Lutheran Church in West St. Paul and the same time each Friday at Easter Lutheran Church in Eagan. According to Bailey, about 20% of the population in Minnesota is age 60 or older and caregiver support is becoming increasingly necessary to help prevent burnout and isolation.

DARTS volunteers also help with simple home repairs, lawn work, grocery shopping and other household tasks. Last summer, the organization received a $267,000 Live Well at Home matching grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services to begin offering those home services in southern Ramsey County through August 2026. It also began offering caregiver support programming in southern Washington County under Bailey’s leadership.

DARTS serves nearly 2,200 people annually – about two-thirds of whom live alone – and is funded through grants, fees for services, and donations from businesses and organizations. Its low-cost services help seniors save money and reduce the need for them to do potentially dangerous household chores that may involve lifting heavy objects, climbing ladders and more.

When Bailey joined DARTS, its budget had recently been slashed from $6 million to $2 million due to the Met Council awarding its transportation contracts to for-profit providers. In 2018, she and the DARTS board of directors decided to sell three-fourths of their West St. Paul campus at 1645 Marthaler Ln. to be made into affordable apartments for seniors. This decision provided a financial boost to the organization. When the pandemic hit in 2020, DARTS transportation services came to a screeching halt and about half of its home cleaning services were put on pause. However, during that time its volunteers regularly called clients who were no longer receiving services just to check in on them, and they helped other community organizations like Neighbors, Inc., which was struggling with a lack of volunteers.

“I thought, ‘wow, I could be the person to shut the doors forever,’ and knew I couldn’t let that happen without taking action,” said Bailey.

Looking ahead, she said that 2025 may have unique funding challenges if the Trump administration’s proposed changes to Medicaid spending are approved, and that some people who depend on Social Security payments might not be able to continue to live where they want.

“Nonprofits exist because we’re filling gaps that other people don’t want to fill because they’re not the profit generators,” said Bailey. “Funding will always be a challenge.”

Recruiting volunteers is also an ongoing task for DARTS, especially since more people are beginning to help on a “gig-basis” rather than making a weekly or monthly commitment. However, Bailey said many community groups, sports teams and businesses still show up with great numbers to help with annual events like spring and fall cleanups.

Founded in 1974, the nonprofit was established as part of a Community Education service designed to transport older adults to Inver Hills Community College for learning opportunities. Its name was an acronym for Dakota Area Resources and Transportation for Seniors but in 2008 the organization rebranded to simply DARTS.

“I think we’ve done a lot in the last 10 years to really be present in the community and help individuals and businesses understand what we do,” said Bailey. “I’m so proud of the team that we have and the heart and the head that they bring every day to look at how we can we make a difference for somebody.”
For more information, call 651-455-1560 or visit dartsconnects.org.

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