DeAndre Neal has been working under contract with UAct since 2015 to help advance UAct/REAP initiatives. Currently, he is a Neighborhood Outreach Worker for UAct’s Smart Neighborhoods Campaign and an active member of REAP. DeAndre began his community work in Springfield in 2010, working as a case manager and class facilitator for the Springfield Urban League. In 2015, DeAndre Neal was the Program Manager for the Springfield Community Federation (SCF) in Brandon Court where he helped develop their Community Health Connections Initiative. He supervised the program’s Community Health Workers and served as a trained Community Health Worker. While at SCF, DeAndre also oversaw a pilot project with Dr. Dave Steward from SIU School of Medicine that delivered health screenings for 78 homeless individuals and provided project coordination for an asthma pilot project with St. John’s Hospital. In partnership with SIU Department of Medicine, UAct and DeAndre worked again with Dr. Dave Steward to plan and conduct a program to help medical school residents better serve low-income and minority populations. In 2019, DeAndre Neal also began assisting The Outlet as a mentor for troubled youth.