Helpful Links

If you've experienced domestic or sexual violence, you are not alone.  360 Communities are available 24/7 for free and confidential support.  Please call their 24-hour hotlines to speak with an advocate: 

• Lewis House Hastings 651-437-1291
• Lewis House Eagan 651-452-7288
• Sexual Assault Services 651-405-1500

The Jacob Wetterling Resource Center has a proven history of helping kids and families.

Vision
End all forms of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation through training, education, advocacy, prevention and awareness, providing care and treatment for children, families, and adult survivors.

Mission 
We work to end all forms of child maltreatment through education, training and prevention while advocating for and serving children, adult survivors and communities.

Values - we believe

• It's a kid's job to be a kid; it's the responsibility of adults to see every child as someone who may need their help and protection.
• Children are never responsible for their own victimization. They often lack the understanding of exploitation, and therefore never "go willingly."

Programs and services
Victim Assistance Helpline: 24/7 coverage offering information, support, advocacy and connection to resources for individuals, families and communities around issues related to missing persons, abuse and exploitation.

In 1974, DARTS built a countywide infrastructure for the delivery of senior services. Our work touches the lives of more than 10,000 people in the Dakota County area yearly. Through six programs, we provide life-enhancing services to 1,400 seniors to enable them to live independent and engaged lives:

1. Service Coordination: connects and coordinates available community services for seniors and their families, as social worker identifies needs through an assessment and guides the client to the best services for their situation

2. Transportation: wheelchair accessible vehicles for individual or group rides

3. Home Services: home cleaning, repairs & outdoor chores assistance

4. Caregiver Support: consultation, resource referral, respite, support groups, & education

5. Information and Referral: Information and contact information for a variety of services provided by phone by trained staff

6. Volunteer Opportunities: for seniors, families, & youth to foster inter-generational engagement

DARTS recently received grant funding from the F. R. Bigelow Foundation and Dakota County. This funding was awarded so DARTS can expand their service coordination to reach more isolated older adults in the community. 

The isolated seniors DARTS reaches will receive a home visit from a staff member to complete a needs assessment. Based on this assessment, our staff will provide recommendations and assistance. Some examples of the type of help they might receive include:

-Navigating health care and insurance options

-Registering for home care services such as chores, home-making and home-delivered meals

-Connecting them up with opportunities for social interactions (senior centers, volunteering)

-Identifying and enrolling in appropriate public benefits

-Educating the client on the value of proactively planning for their care and other needs, including assistance with health care directives and understanding how to access legal support for financial planning

-Assessing the need for mental health services and connecting client to the most appropriate service

All of these may involve consultation with family members (if authorized by client) and support to that family member if appropriate.  Additionally, sometimes our help will include follow up with the client to check in on how services or opportunities are working out, so that adjustments can be made if necessary.

Residential and Business Recycling

All residents and commercial properties, including multifamily, in Dakota County must recycle designated materials and properly manage their waste.  See the recycling Yes/No List for what to recycle and what to leave out.

Use Dakota County’s Recycling Guide to find out what to do with hundreds of items.

Please do not bag recyclable items in plastic bags. Keep them loose in your cart or bin. Leave caps on containers and flatten boxes. 

Setting Up Service

Empire Township residents and businesses have the option of choosing who collects their trash and recycling. Choosing a new hauler can be a great time to evaluate what you throw away and how you can save money. The less trash you produce, the smaller the cart you need, and the less you will pay. Even if you’re sticking with your current hauler, consider contacting them to see if you can save money. Select from one of the licensed haulers below and set-up your service directly with the hauler. All haulers collect these designated materials for recycling. 

List of Licensed Trash and Recycling Haulers

If you suspect your hauler is taking recycling to a trash site, contact Dakota County at 952-891-7557 to report.

Reduce and Reuse

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle:  The three "R's".  Most of us are familiar with recycling, but what about the other two.  Reduce and Reuse come before Recycle, and therefore should take priority.

Find local repair, rental and donation options near you by searching the Reduce & Reuse Map.

Empire Township residents can drop off organics such as food scraps and non-recyclable paper (e.g., paper towels, napkins) at any of the Dakota County Organics Drop Off Sites. It is a free, convenient and easy way to manage household food scraps and reduce the amount of trash sent for disposal.  Sign up online, call 952-891-7557 or email organics@co.dakota.mn.us. You’ll receive a welcome kit with a free container label, compostable bags and details on how to drop-off your organics. 

• The Recycling Zone
• Dakota County Recycling Requirements
• Residential Recycling
• Business Recycling
• Multifamily Recycling
• School Recycling
• Environmental Education Resources
• Event Recycling

A county license is required to provide trash and recycling services in Empire Township. Collection services must occur between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Operations during these hours may also be conducted on Saturdays to accommodate recognized national holidays and special collections arranged between the collector and customer. Haulers must provide weekly trash and recycling services to residents. See duties and obligations for haulers in Dakota County Solid Waste Ordinance 110, Section 15. 

Dakota County requires event sponsors to ensure trash and recycling are collected at all events.  Beginning in 2024, Dakota County requires food scraps to be collected in back-of-house areas (non-public areas) for events with at least 300 people that generate at least one ton (8 cubic yards) of trash per location.  The County offers free assistance and collection containers to help meet these requirements.

1. Have recycling service.  Provide recycling service through a contract with a hauler or self-haul recyclables.  Collected recyclables, food scraps – if collected, and trash must be delivered to a facility permitted to accept it. 
2. Recycle designated materials.  Provide recycling containers in buildings and on grounds to collect Dakota County’s Designated Recyclables from event participants. 
3. Locate recycling containers with trash containers.  Wherever there is a trash container, there must be a recycling container within 10 feet in all indoor and outdoor locations, including on property grounds. Recycling containers must be large enough to collect all recyclables, and not overflowing.
4. Label containers.  Label each indoor and outdoor containers according to County labeling requirements. Replace labels if they become damaged, unreadable or if text or images conflict with county label requirements.
5. Provide recycling education.  Provide standardized recycling education at least once a year to employees, event volunteers and contractors who manage event waste. Provide education within 30 days of hire and within 30 days of a substantial change to the waste and recycling program. Education must cover what and how to recycle in accordance with requirements listed on Dakota County’s website.