When Teresa Smith joined Goodwill Commercial Services in 2009, she was re-entering society and the workforce after a period of incarceration and a decade-long addiction to methamphetamine, which led to her losing custody of her son. Her history with the criminal justice system made it difficult to secure a job, but she approached the opportunity at Goodwill with a focus on improving her professional skills and rebuilding her life. 

Imagine being denied a basic education unless you pledge allegiance to political beliefs that you do not ascribe to. This is what Rizan Hajji Mohamed faced when he was forced to flee his home country of Syria. 

Nicole Castro learned to be independent at a very young age. As a child, her parents faced severe legal trouble. In an effort to remain undiscovered, they pulled Nicole out of school at just seven years old. At 16, after years of instability and moving from place to place to avoid the authorities, Nicole decided to strike out on her own. While her peers were planning for prom and school sporting events, she was preparing to start a new life. Soon after, she met and married her now-husband, and they started a family together.

When Dea'Jenay Reid discovered she was pregnant with her first child, she was 23 and finishing a rigorous nursing school program. While the idea of parenting brought a lot of feelings of excitement, it also brought many uncertainties and feelings of anxiety. When she learned of Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s Nurse-Family Partnership® program during a prenatal visit with her doctor, she was eager to enroll.

When Johnny Manson joined Goodwill in October 2016 as a part-time donation attendant, he had been struggling to secure employment due to past legal issues and a lifelong history of depression. 

When Stephanie Carney was sentenced to 18 months in prison, she knew that she needed to make a change in her life.

In 2015, Rachel Dell had just moved to Indianapolis from her hometown in rural Georgia and was looking for a new lease on life.

After separating from her husband of 10 years, Samantha Russell turned to drugs in an effort to cope with the stress and anxiety she was experiencing. 

When Tenera Lloyd enrolled in the Nurse-Family Partnership program, she was in an abusive relationship and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. A pregnant mom with limited outside support, she felt hopelessly stuck in her situation but knew she wanted better for her daughter. After going into labor three weeks early due to a domestic situation, she knew it was time to take action.

Since 1951, Goodwill® organizations throughout the United States and Canada have come together to recognize Goodwill Industries Week and highlight the defining principle of our mission — to change lives. For 120 years, the Goodwill network has worked with people experiencing barriers to employment by helping them secure a job, increase their education and access resources critical to achieving independence.