Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP) pairs first-time mothers with a registered nurse for ongoing home visits aimed at providing the best start for their children during the earliest, most developmentally critical years. NFP is an international, community health program, widely researched and recognized for increasing health care access and improving health outcomes.

Martha Bess has always had a love of learning, but personal barriers prevented her from finishing high school as a teenager. She married at 14 years old and started her own family, which grew to include six children. Over 20 years later, she began working with her church’s homeschool co-op, where her children attended, and soon discovered her own love of teaching. To advance her career and to continue to set a good example for her children, she knew she would need a high school diploma.

Kristani and Bryson Kovach are not high school sweethearts in the traditional sense. Then again, neither of their experiences with high school were traditional at first, either.

Growing up, Katie Reigelsperger had little support from her parents, who struggled with substance abuse. Over the years, Katie was in and out of the foster care system and struggled to find the stability and guidance that she needed to make healthy choices. Then, at the age of 13, she found out she was pregnant.

As a sophomore at St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Leonard Lofton was a successful student with plans to be a history teacher. 

Rachel Hendrickson knew the direction she wanted to take her life, but she needed help crafting a plan. After six years employed as a retail associate at Goodwill, she began working with a career and life coach at Goodwill — also known as a Guide. Together, they charted a path to accomplishing her goals of getting a driver’s license, owning a car and being promoted to Team Leader.

Seven years ago, Karen Narvaez arrived in the United States from Nicaragua with little knowledge of the English language, but with a strong thirst for knowledge and a drive to succeed. After seeking out basic English courses, she was referred to The Excel Center by a friend in 2015. Unsure at the time of her ultimate career and education goals, Karen enrolled at The Excel Center part-time, with the idea that earning her diploma would help improve her fluency in English. However, Karen’s motivation soon began to change. Despite a transportation barrier, she set — and accomplished — her goal of attending school every day, and even completed her courses at the top of her class in Anderson.

This fall, Goodwill TalentSource® hosted a job fair for Nurse-Family Partnership® participants and their families. TalentSource helps individuals advance their skills through training, coaching and certifications, as well as prepares candidates for placement in fields such as healthcare, manufacturing and IT. Nurse-Family Partnership pairs first-time, low-income mothers with a registered nurse to support a healthy pregnancy and beyond.

Life looked much different for Kimberly Lewis eight years ago.