This story is part of a series on 1st Source Foundation’s grant program. Learn more about the program and the impact it has on communities across Northern Indiana here: https://portage.life/article/1st-source-foundation-and-1st-source-bank-work-together-to-create-a-better-community-for-all/
Learning is a lifelong journey. Learning opportunities for both children and adults are necessary for a community to thrive, and Neighbors’ Educational Opportunities (NEO) seeks to provide just that through its NEO Center and Creekside Early Learning Center. To do so, however, there are barriers that need to be addressed, especially in terms of high-quality childcare.
“We knew that two areas we wanted to further develop based on community and student need were additional training classrooms and spaces and on-site childcare,” said NEO Executive Director and Founder Rebecca Reiner. “The on-site childcare specifically was not just for our students; it was a community need, and it was a barrier for people to go to school or to go to work.”
NEO had undeveloped space from its 2016 purchase of Camelot Bowl and originally planned to renovate some of the space for a preschool program. When investigating the need for childcare in Porter County, however, Reiner and her team realized that they would need a much more robust program to properly serve the community.
“It turned out that the demand was so much greater than we expected,” said Reiner. “The need was really there for a full-service high-quality childcare center. That is when we started to ask ‘Can we make this bigger than we originally planned?’”
With a much larger project in mind, NEO began applying for grants from organizations like Early Years Initiative, First Things First, and 1st Source Foundation . NEO received a $50,000 grant from 1st Source Foundation in support of the Creekside Early Learning Center.
“1st Source Foundation is pleased to support Neighbors’ Educational Opportunities in their Creekside Early Learning Center,” said Matt Vessely, West Region President at 1st Source Bank. “Lack of childcare is a widespread problem and affects entire families. We appreciate the work NEO is doing to address the problem head on with their new childcare center.
“1st Source has been a staunch supporter and partner,” said Reiner. “When we received word in 2015 that we had to move out of the old Garyton School and realized we had to come up with a new space and everything else, 1st Source was there for us.”
The total cost of the renovations and development has come to $2 million, with a significant chunk being covered by grants from organizations like 1st Source Foundation. Since many families are unable to have a parent not work, NEO sees the chance to provide both a strong early learning foundation and childcare as a responsibility it can’t ignore, and every bit of support helps.
The renovation of Creekside Early Learning Center is also having an impact on the local job market, creating more chances for community members to step into educational roles.
“We sit on 30 acres of land, and we want to make sure that it is serving the communities we serve,” Reiner said. “One barrier we're trying to remove is childcare, but we're also looking at the incredible demand that exists in education and early childhood centers for people to rise up to the challenge of stepping into those careers. We are going to be working with area entities and our childcare providers to offer an early childhood pathway and Child Development Associate credential.”
With construction underway, NEO is still hoping to raise money for the finishing touches on Creekside Early Learning Center. Reiner encourages anyone interested in donating to contact her.
“I always encourage people to come over and see what we do,” Reiner said. “To step into our building and see the impact that we're having on people's lives and what we're doing with the future training academy is pretty impressive.”
None of this would be possible without support from the community as well as organizations like 1st Source Foundation.
“We've got a lot of depth that we're trying to cover, but we're still committed to making an impact on the community by providing new services, and we're grateful to 1st Source for their partnership and their support in this.”
To learn more about or to support Neighbors’ Educational Opportunities’ Creekside Early Learning Center project, visit neoadulted.org/rising-up.
1st Source Foundation helps fund local projects making a significant impact on their community. Those interested in applying for a grant should visit 1st Source Foundation’s page to learn about eligibility, application requirements, and more.
