Who is Cardinal Services?
A Legacy of Care. A Future of Promise.
Cardinal Services began in 1954, when parents in Kosciusko County were confronted with a lack of resources to support them in raising children with disabilities. Any group or organization that could provide the answers or offer the services they needed proved too expensive or too far away.
For over 65 years, Cardinal Services has taught the community that when individuals with challenges are valued, supported and connected to their community, everyone wins.
Desperate for a solution closer to home, a number of these parents began connecting with each other through the “letters to the editor” section of their local newspaper. Before long, their children began meeting for daily classes at a family home in Milford. Although these families had varying needs, they shared the same dream — that their child could do more and be more than society seemed to understand.
The parents were right. Soon, children who were deemed “untrainable” were learning basic skills and opening a door to greater possibilities. What started as a handful of children learning from a single teacher in a living room has grown into an organization with a staff of roughly 380 employees who serve nearly 6,500 people each year.
With the ongoing commitment of those original families and the countless others who have joined in along the way, Cardinal Services has filled a vital niche that helps many individuals, as well as their families, live more productive, happy lives.
We share this statement in response to the social justice movement occurring in America. After consulting with board members, we felt a strong need to lend our unique voice to this conversation. We believe this message properly conveys our support for equality and justice for all Americans.
Cardinal Services has watched and listened intently to the social justice movement taking place across America.
We have engaged with stakeholders, asking how we can improve. Those conversations have generated valuable feedback and insight that will help our agency grow in the future.
Social justice, compassion and dignity for all are issues that align with our mission and define the work we do. Therefore, Cardinal stands with those fighting systemic racism and discrimination.
For decades, Cardinal has joined others who serve people with intellectual or developmental disabilities to wage our own fight for equal rights. We have seen progress, but the fight is far from over.
Those with disabilities have been shunned, discriminated against, refused housing, passed over for jobs, and faced with hurdles unimaginable to most of us.
That struggle is more pronounced for people of color who have disabilities, who face not only assumptions about their capabilities but also bias based on their skin color.
- Black children with disabilities lose more days of instruction from school suspension (121 days/100 students), compared to White students with disabilities (43 days/100 students);
- The cumulative probability of arrest by age 28 is 55.17 for Black individuals with disabilities, compared to 39.7 for White individuals with disabilities;
- Labor force participation is lower for Black people with disabilities (17.7%) compared to those who are White (21%);
- 25% of Black students with disabilities never graduate high school, compared to 16% of non-Hispanic White students.
We must and will continue to speak out and push for equality for all without regard to race, color, creed, sexual orientation, or ability. Standing up in support of people’s rights, and against hate and discrimination in its many different forms, is part of what disability rights is all about.
This statement is endorsed by Cardinal Services Board of Directors and Executive Director Matt Boren.
Care is in our DNA
Organizational Milestones
1954: Children with disabilities receive services for the first time.
1965: Cardinal Center workshop (now CCI Manufacturing) is established.
1966: Cardinal Center moved to its current location at 504 north bay drive.
1969: An education wing is added and classes begin for preschool children. Elements of this program would later become First Steps.
1976: Job placement services began.
1979: Kosciusko Area Bus Service (KABS) began operations.
1985: The first two group homes in Kosciusko County were opened.
1990: Group home services were expanded to Cass and Marshall Counties.
1993: Cardinal Center received its first CARF accreditation.
1995: Cardinal Center started a head start program in Kosciusko County.
1997: The Women, Infant & Children Nutrition Program (now simply called WIC) comes under the cardinal umbrella.
1999: All first steps services are now provided in the family home rather than at a center.
2000: Significant development of the supported living program occurs.
2002: Three accessible duplex style group homes for people with severe disabilities are constructed to replace three aging homes that close. One home is opened in Rochester. This is Cardinal’s first service in Fulton County.
2003: Pike Lake Pointe Apartments open, providing safe, decent, affordable lakeside living for low-income families and people with disabilities.
2004: Cardinal Center celebrates 50 years of service to the community!
2007: A new group home is built on SR 14 W in Silver Lake.
2008: We change our name to Cardinal Services and adopt a new logo.
2010: In February, KABS launched their new logo and expanded services to include all of Kosciusko County. Federal stimulus dollars allow the fleet to grow and be updated with 3 new vehicles.
2011: The Sus Amigos program comes to an end. First Steps programming is regionalized by the state forcing Cardinal to end First Steps services. Career Links begins offering services in Elkhart County.
2012: Cardinal opens a new group home on Parker Street in Warsaw, replacing a much older home.
2013: Career Links expands to Marshall County.
2014: Cardinal celebrates 60th anniversary with a year of special events.
2016: CEO Jane Wear retires after 40 years with Cardinal Services. Randy Hall, a 28 year veteran of Cardinal, becomes the new CEO.
2016: Cardinal opens Redbird Art Studio, giving people a fresh opportunity of expression and possible income.
2021: Matthew Boren becomes Executive Director of Cardinal Services. Cardinal Services and Easterseals Arc of Northeast Indiana create a formal alignment partnership, creating Easterseals Northern Indiana. Cardinal remains an independent provider.
2022: Vickie Lootens becomes Executive Director of Cardinal Services. Ground is broken for renovations and addition to the 504 campus.
2023: Renovations continue and a new 3,000 sq ft addition is created to house three Opportunity Labs which will give people skills training in hospitality, health care and manufacturing jobs.
