Bright Spot: Aitkin DAC offers a plethora of opportunities

AITKIN — For those with disabilities, life can be full of extra challenges.

Aitkin Developmental Achievement Center aims to make a difference in providing purpose and joy for Aitkin County adults facing developmental and physical disabilities.

Andrea Griffith, marketing and operations director for Aitkin DAC, was a recent Bright Spot guest on the KAXE Morning Show.

"We do a wide range of things that are custom-tailored to each person, what their goals are and what's going to make their lives better," Griffith explained.

Employment opportunities

One way Aitkin DAC serves its clients is through customized employment. Everybody has different aspirations and needs, so there are a lot of different avenues to choose from.

There's the DAC-Mart Thrift Store in Aitkin, which includes the Uniquely DAC corner with handmade seasonal crafts.

For those who like to get their hands dirty, there's the DACWORKS worm nursery. Others may like to assemble filtration systems for various companies.

Transportation is provided to those who need it, and customized employment assistance is available.

Better Together program

Another program of Aitkin DAC is Better Together. These are events designed to bring together anyone in the community to make connections and have some fun.

"Sometimes people with disabilities are kind of separated from the general public. We want to end that and break the stigma that people might think they're not as capable, when they absolutely are," Griffith said.

Contributed

/

Aitkin DAC

The next Better Together event is a Halloween dance, 5-7 p.m. Oct. 29 at The Ripple Center in Aitkin. All are welcome to enjoy dancing to a DJ, a full dinner, games and door prizes. Wear a costume if you'd like. The cost is $5 per person.

"We want everyone to come together," Griffith said.

'Together we grow'

Aitkin DAC continues to grow, and it has acquired the former Riverview Behavioral Health building.

The organization is now raising funds to renovate the building to fit its needs. The benefits of the new space, according to the DAC, include more square footage, a safer loading and unloading area, larger bathrooms and patio spaces and greater accessibility to activities and opportunities.

"This also presents an opportunity for larger spaces for our Special Projects crew," the DAC states on its fundraising website. "There will be separate side rooms for better organized work stations and excellent storage (instead of one overcrowded with limited square footage at DACWORKS), as well as having a designated collaboration space for our leadership team to be together and collaborate more frequently to solve problems and further elevate our program."

Learn more about how to support their campaign at the DAC fundraising website.

Listen to our full conversation above to hear more about worm farming, DAC Mart, and Aitkin DAC's hopes for the future.

Is there a Bright Spot in your community? Let us know!

The Bright Spot is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.