Transitioning from high school to college is a major change for students and their families. Students are often on their own for the first time. And while parents and guardians do everything they can to lessen the uncertainties, some details get overlooked.

In 2016, Danielle Neal learned what her two daughters really needed as they attended college out of state. Since both were on scholarship, they had little time for a job outside their school and athletic commitments. As a result, they were continuously calling home to Danielle, asking for help with basic, day-to-day necessities.

Danielle saw an opportunity to help not just her kids, but those across the community. She began by asking for donations of personal care items to assemble care packages for current college and university students from Elkhart County.

Danielle created C.A.R.E. University, whose full name is Community Assisting and Rewarding Education. The program collects and distributes donations of personal hygiene products, snacks, and school supplies to help college students and their parents with the cost and challenge of keeping necessities on hand.

In 2018, Danielle took steps to make C.A.R.E. University an official nonprofit. In 2019, the organization received a 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County grant of $10,000 via the Community Foundation of Elkhart County that helped boost the number of students it could support. The funding gave Danielle the confidence to continue her mission.“The Community Foundation gave us our first grant, and when you get that as a nonprofit, it confirms that you are doing the right thing,” she says. “They showed they believed in us and wanted to see us grow.” C.A.R.E. University has since received $15,000 in Community Investment Grants and a non-endowed fund that the Community Foundation continues to support.

C.A.R.E. University started with twelve students and has grown to support 70 students during the 2022-23 academic year. The nonprofit now provides funding for laptops for students that completed 10 hours of community service and maintain a 3.5 grade point average. C.A.R.E University also maintains an emergency fund for students.

In addition to supplies, each student is paired with an adult advocate, whose role is regularly checking in with their student and acting as a sounding board. This helps take some of the burden off parents and provides the student with someone to speak with in addition to their parents. “It’s amazing to see the relationships that form over time and the bond that is made,” says Danielle.

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Entry into C.A.R.E. University is easy. The student must graduate from an Elkhart County high school, have a GPA of 2.0, and attend college away from home. “Just because a family makes a certain amount of money on paper doesn’t mean they don’t have things going on, such as health issues or other financial burdens, that inhibit them from fully supporting their child. I don’t want to turn anyone away for financial reasons,” explains Danielle.

Danielle sees growth opportunities through additional partnerships with local businesses. Beacon Health System is a current financial contributor to C.A.R.E. University, and in turn, C.A.R.E. University supports students of Beacon employees, even if they are outside of Elkhart County. American Electric Power has partnered to sponsor the technology program that provides students with laptops and other necessary technical equipment.

Danielle hopes to expand the nonprofit’s reach to help younger students access resources that encourage early academic success and to support students attending trade schools with tools and equipment for their classes. But, at its core, C.A.R.E. University’s biggest aspirations are to continuously grow the total number of college students it supports annually. Danielle has a frontline view of the positive impact C.A.R.E. University has on students, and many have given back to the community and the program after graduating. “There is a quote to the effect that it takes one adult to change a child’s life, and I firmly believe in that,” she says. “For some of these kids, it takes one person to say, ‘I care about you, I want you to be successful, we’re not going to provide excuses but create expectations, and you’re going to meet them with the help that we’re going to give you.’ That’s very important to me.”

C.A.R.E. University hosts an annual kick-off event every July for students, student advocates, program volunteers, and community members. The event celebrates the students and gives them a positive send-off for the upcoming school year.

“For some of these kids, it takes one person to say, ‘I care about you, I want you to be successful, we’re not going to provide excuses but create expectations, and you’re going to meet them with the help that we’re going to give you.’”

Danielle Neal, Founder of C.A.R.E. University

This story appeared in the 2022 Annual Report.