DART Is #DSMstrong Thanks to Local Businesses

When faced with a lag in supply chains, Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) took the #DSMLocalChallenge to help keep our employees safe.

DART reached out to Dehner Distillery in Clive in March after hearing that some local distilleries were beginning to create sanitizer. The Distillery was able to quickly fill a large order for DART, ensuring we had sanitizer to hand out to staff, and had enough to put in higher traffic locations for staff to access at both DART Central Station and the maintenance facility and bus barn located at 1100 DART Way.

Along with creating sanitizer for DART, Dehner’s Red Fox Sanitizer has been purchased by companies and organizations across the country, including USPS, Tesla, Fareway and HyVee.

After experiencing delays in ordering personal protective equipment (PPE) for our front-line workers, DART again looked locally for face masks and filters. Through social media, DART was able to contact Gretchen of local fashion brand Gretchen Bohling Designs and put in an order for hundreds of masks for staff. Gretchen was able to work quickly, thanks to the help of another local seamstress and designer, Kathy Smith, to craft a total of 400 masks.

A Thank You to DART Employees

Gretchen had the following message of thanks to share. “Thank you for putting yourselves at risk in order to provide our community with the wonderful services you do! Without DART people in our community wouldn't have a way to complete their essential errands, and I am so thankful that you all have created a safe and reliable way for them to commute throughout our city.”

DART was able to purchase filters to use in these masks from a unique source, a retired bus operator. Ernie is a former DART operator who now owns a vacuum repair shop.

Thank you to these local businesses for stepping up to help keep our staff safe as we continue to deal with COVID-19! DART remains committed to safely providing essential transportation to Greater Des Moines (DSM) and we are able to do so with the help and support from our local community. We truly are better together!

You can count on The Partnership to continue to share accurate and fact-based updates as well. See more on COVID-19 here.