Get Involved
DART exists through limited funding by grants and community donations. Our grants are not guaranteed long-term, and without community support our program could not continue. From food donations for the shelter to corporate gifts, there are hundreds of ways DART receives the help and the funds it needs to keep serving those living with domestic violence.
Our strength comes from the generosity of our community – with their time, their talents, their donations and their willingness to speak out against domestic violence.
Volunteer
You can volunteer your time at DART Help out at one of our events, like the Candlelight Vigil or the annual Radiothon. Our children’s program needs help at their activities throughout the year. Volunteers also assist with shelter projects like gardening or office work at our administrative office. Call us at 318-513-9373 and we’ll find a volunteer spot just right for you.
Donate
Whether as an individual or a group, your financial gift can help us provide services and shelter those who are living in fear. Make a donation online or mail a check to DART, P.O. Box 1223, Ruston, LA 71273.
Support annual fundraising events. The annual DART Radiothon usually takes place each year (during Covid pandemic, we had to skip a year). DART sets up at Super 1 Foods in Ruston all day and KRLQ 94.1 broadcasts an appeal to community members to help us reach our goal for the year. Speakers from the community are interviewed on the air all day, talking about domestic violence in our area.
DART has participated in Give for Good since 2019. Give for Good is an online giving event sponsored by the Community Foundation of North Louisiana. Donors can go online and give to the non-profits they support on the designated day, usually in early May. If DART receives a certain level during the giving period, we are eligible for partial matching funds, making a gift go even further. Learn more at giveforgoodnla.org.
Donate your old phone, and we’ll pass it along to a group that converts old phones into 911-only phones for those who have no way to call for help.
Sign up for Amazon Smile and they will donate a portion of your sale to DART It’s free and it’s easy. Go to amazonsmile.com.
Sponsor a Drive: Sponsor a drive with your group or club. Our shelter needs diapers, non-perishable food, paper goods and cleaning supplies. Our children’s program needs (individual) craft kits, snacks, drinks and other items. Call us at 318-513-9373 for current needs.
Sponsor a pantry pack drive. Many of the children we serve do not have access to three meals a day when they are not in school. Our Pantry Pack Program supplies food each week for our children when they are out of school for holidays and during the summer. See a list of non-perishables for pantry packs.
Speak Up
One of the most important ways you can help is speaking up. Denounce domestic violence in our community. Don’t tolerate any trash talk about controlling or hurting women. Stand up to bullying in all its forms.
If you are a man, volunteer to be part of Men Standing Strong, men in our community who have pledged to stand up to domestic violence. When someone makes an excuse for an abuser, tell them, “there are no excuses for domestic violence”.
Invite us to speak at your club, business, or group about domestic or dating violence. Volunteer to have DART brochures in your business to help us spread the word that help is available.