Des Moines DART Awards Vans to Local Nonprofits

Alison Hoeman from Des Moines Refugee Support receiving van keys from DART CEO Amanda Wanke (left) and Caravan Supervisor Victoria Henderson Weber.

The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) has awarded two retired vans to two local nonprofit organizations as part of its Van Award Program. The 2025 DART Van Award Program recipients are the Camp Fire Heart of Iowa youth development program and the Des Moines Refugee Support organization.

“We are proud to award vans to these two great organizations that serve families and youth across Greater Des Moines,” said Erin Hockman, DART chief strategy officer. “We hope the vans enhance the positive impact these organizations have in our community by ensuring people have transportation to access opportunities that support healthy, thriving lives.”

Owen Ballard and Jenna Turner from Camp Fire Heart of Iowa receiving keys from Amanda Wanke and Victoria Henderson Weber.

In 2014, the DART Commission adopted a policy allowing the agency to award up to three retired vans per year to local nonprofit organizations to help address unmet transportation needs in central Iowa by enhancing an organization’s ability to serve populations that are often underserved by existing transit services.

The vans used for the award program are retired vehicles from DART’s Caravan vanpool fleet.

Fifteen area organizations applied for this year’s program, and DART has awarded 23 vans to nearly 20 local nonprofit organizations since the program began.