Bay Area woman builds business out of being ‘second mom’ to college students

Bay Area woman is ‘campus mom’ to students at UT

Haley Hinds reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - For many children, moving into a campus dorm to start college is a big chapter in adulthood as they leave their parents’ home for the first time. Now, a Bay Area woman has created a business to help ease the transition for children and their parents.

Rachelle Arnold is anxiously waiting for one of her "kids" and the University of Tampa.

Alyssa Murphy isn’t Arnold’s actual child, but she is taking care of her as if she were because her mother isn’t living close by.

"She's having a rough patch so her mom sent her a box," Arnold said. "She sent a box with some decorations on it to kind of lift her kid up and also did a few groceries of her favorite things so I'm excited."

Arnold has become a bit of a campus parent for students at UT.

Rachelle Arnold hugs one of her "kids" at UT.

"The number one question that I get asked all the time is do you have an actual kid that attends the University of Tampa? And the answer that I always give is only about 300," Arnold stated. ‘Because they're all my kids."

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Arnold is on campus to send over care packages and groceries. She also gives rides and helps the students navigate just about anything through her business called Daisy Bug Delivery.

"We do a whole lot of everything that the parents can't do because they're so far away from home," she explained. "We're a professional concierge we're not Uber or Lyft or any ride-sharing. We don't just drop our kids at the curb and notice I say our kids because these are our kids. I was a Shipt shopper and enjoyed it. I was doing a few orders for the kids here and the parents and the kids were loving me. I have wonderful, wonderful people that work with me. We call them my beehive."

Daisy Bug Delivery is a full-service concierge that focuses on helping out college students with groceries, airport runs, care packages, doctor's visits, etc.

"It's just peace of mind for us parents being so far away," said parent Jeanette Bigum who lives in New Jersey.

Bigum is grateful that Arnold can be there for her daughter.

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"Knowing that I can reach out to her anytime and contact her if she gets sick or she needs anything from the store," Bigum stated. "My daughter doesn't have a car down there so it's just great having Rachelle and her team to help out. We've used her for airport runs. They take a picture of the kids when they get to the airport and they take a picture of them when they grab them and they drop them off at their dorms."

Rachelle Arnold delivers a package to a student at UT.

"They're so thankful," Arnold said. "Especially when we go to the ER with the kids. I'm on the phone with the parents Facetiming when that doctor comes in. If you're in an uncomfortable situation you need to weigh out. You call me. I'll come get you. It's free and there's no charge and there have been so many kids that take advantage of that."

Arnold’s service gives students and parents someone they can lean on and she gets a lot out of it too.

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"Just bringing joy and happiness and getting paid for it too," Arnold said.