How DART and YSS are Helping Youth Make Moves to a Bright Future

Inside a tall, bright green building on East Euclid, a group of young adults work hard each day to grow fresh romaine lettuce, mustard greens and radishes that can be sold at local farmers’ markets and stores. Together, the youth are responsible for all aspects of cultivation and production within the state-of-the-art hydroponic freight farms, from planting seeds to harvesting and packaging the produce.

Launched a year ago, the Rooftop Gardens is a YSS program aiming to help at-risk youth and young people experiencing homelessness gain valuable work experience and improve their access to healthy, locally grown foods. Getting many of the students to this unique six-month opportunity is DART.  

“DART has helped me get a lot of places,” said Jasmin Anderson, a participant in the Rooftop Gardens’ Spring cohort. “Rooftop Gardens was a good choice for me because it was easy to get here. I live over near Merle Hay, so I just had to hop on one bus line.”
 

Bridging a Gap for Youth

A new cohort of 8-12 youth joins the apprenticeship program every six months. In exchange for their work, participants earn a livable wage while learning critical job skills like interviewing, professional communication and resume writing. 

Annie Boelen, YSS Rooftop Gardens Farms Coordinator said, “We’re bridging the gap for young adults who didn’t graduate high school and getting them into the workforce.”  

“They help us look for long-term careers and find out what we want to do with our lives,” explained Jasmin.  

In addition, Rooftop Gardens participants receive food safety certifications, gain important life skills, and meet with YSS therapists as needed.
 

Making Moves to a Bright Future 

YSS Rooftop Gardens is conveniently located along DART Route 50, helping program participants who depend on public transit arrive for their shifts on time.   

Fellow Rooftop Gardens participant Josiah Brewer said he often relies on DART to get to work and other places. Josiah takes Route 7 to get to school at Options Academy and Route 16 to get to Merle Hay Mall, where he designs T-shirts in his free time.  

Before their cohort at Rooftop Gardens began, Jasmin and Josiah were both experiencing homelessness and receiving support through the Iowa Homeless Youth Center (IHYC). 

“I was on the streets,” said Jasmin. “I was looking for a job, but it was really hard. When this opportunity opened up, I jumped on it.”  

“I was in the same boat,” Josiah said. “I was homeless, but they gave me an opportunity to work here. I was very nervous because I’d never had a job before.” 

After only a few months, Jasmin and Josiah noticed the positive impact Rooftop Gardens had on their life.  

Jasmin recently found a place to live through Anawim Housing and purchased a car. Now, she’s putting money into a savings account.  

“I want people to know they shouldn’t judge a person by their looks. There are a lot of different reasons someone is homeless. It’s not necessarily because they don’t want to work,” said Jasmin. “Rooftop Gardens has really helped me get back on my feet, which I needed.” 

Josiah is grateful that his time at Rooftop Gardens helped him gain communication skills. "I used to be at a point where it was very hard to communicate, but now I feel like I can talk to people,” he said. “I never thought I’d be the person I am today. I’m happy to see the change in me, and a lot of people, including my family, see my growth.” 
 

Improving Community Well-Being 

Rooftop Gardens was developed to supplement the work YSS already does to help young adults find housing, employment and other resources throughout the community.  

“Every single day – even if I’m having a bad day – they turn it upside down. Listening to their stories and what they’ve gone through motivates me to support them,” said Annie Boelen.  

Providing services and identifying other resources is important, but ensuring people can get to them is also critical. Three out of every five trips DART provides help people get to work. Additionally, more than half of all DART riders do not have a valid driver’s license, and the same percentage don’t have a working vehicle, which means for many people, DART is their only option to travel.  

That’s why public transit is a vital component of community well-being, helping people across Greater Des Moines make moves to a steady job, stable housing, fresh foods and other things they need to live a healthy life. 

Explore more transit benefits.