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1645 Marthaler Lane, West St. Paul, MN 55118
A Day in the Life of a DARTS Home Repair Specialist
A Day in the Life of a
DARTS Home Repair Specialist
One Day
Every day, I get into the office at 8am. That first hour is for paperwork, everything from the day before -processing receipts, making sure forms are signed and filled out properly, attaching checks from clients, and getting everything handed in. Then it’s time to look to the new day and get ready for a day full of home repairs. My first appointment is usually between 9-10am, so I leave the office between 8:45-9:00am. I always have to do a pre-check on my vehicle to make sure I have everything I need, and the van itself is looking good, then I head on out to get started.
I often have 3-4 appointments per day. The most common repair I do is installing grab bars for folks, which I do multiple times a week. My spacing for appointments is mostly right since Craig makes my schedule based on past appointments. Repairs are never exactly the same though, so sometimes I am farther behind or ahead than I expected. After a second home repair, I try to squeeze in a lunch. Then another 1-2 appointments. I get back to the office around 4-4:30, drop everything at my desk, and head home to do it again tomorrow.
One Moment
Before I started at DARTS, I was working as a chef in the restaurant. I was tired of working 70-80 hours in a week, being the oldest person there, always coming home talking about how tired I was. One of my daughters was riding Metro Mobility at the time, and one day she said, “Dad, you should drive for Metro Mobility.” The next time I saw the bus, I called the phone number on it, and that’s the first time I called DARTS. So I actually started in Transportation.
Previously, I had been in remodeling and construction for 15 years. One day, when DARTS was between Home Repairs Specialists, someone learned about my experience and asked if I could do a job for a client. After I did, the client called DARTS and said I did great, and DARTS told me the position was mine if I wanted it – and I did.
One Hour (or Maybe Two)
An appointment takes 1.5-2 hours on average. There’s a lot that I do in an hour, but 1-2 is usually how long it takes. About one third of my clients each week are new, which means that first visit comes with a lot more questions. It doesn’t mean it takes longer, though – part of the job is also chatting with the clients. A lot of the older adults I work with don’t see many people in a week. Some of them are living alone or isolated, which makes it even more important to connect with them when I’m in their home. After all, talking with people is an important part of what I do. The more often I see a client, the more we catch up after I’ve repaired what they need.
I like chatting just as much as they do. It’s funny, I notice when I haven’t seen someone for a while. I was at a client’s house in Lakeville last week. They live in a cul-de-sac along with three other clients, all their houses together. I passed one of the houses on the way to the appointment and thought about how I hadn’t seen that client for a bit. As I was leaving, I saw her on her porch with her dog and stopped to talk a bit. Then the next week, I was filling in as a driver. When I drove a group ride of some folks, I ran into her at our stop. What are the odds of that? I told her it must be fate, and she must need something done around her house since I’ve seen her twice in a week, and she said I was right, there was something she needed. She called the very next day to schedule it.
Ten Years
I’ve been at DARTS for over 10 years now – 10 years and 2 months to be exact. When I think about what I do, I enjoy knowing that I am helping seniors, which is a huge reward. I have the knowledge to do the work, and it matters to me that I am making a difference with what I do. It’s almost like I’m giving back to the community or even making up for things I did when I was younger. It’s one of those things where you have to want to be here – you have to care to enjoy this kind of work. I care – and I enjoy working with the people I do and making a difference every day – one home repair at a time.
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