Another Step Forward

Greta Maxey had to retire from 30 years of continuous employment early, but she found solace in her apartment. She loved the area and the home she had built for herself. There was only one problem: the rent kept rising – and Greta couldn’t keep up. Despite her best efforts, eventually, she was evicted from her apartment in 2025.

Greta had to go through the courts to remove the eviction from her history and continue renting elsewhere. Although she was eventually successful, the stress of dealing with an eviction took its toll. Falling into a depression, she ended up staying with relatives and friends – but those arrangements never worked out for long. Ultimately, she transitioned to living in her car.

While living in her vehicle, she heard about Goodwill Horizon House, Indianapolis’s trusted partner and advocate for neighbors experiencing homelessness. Goodwill Horizon House provides integrated, comprehensive services so our neighbors, like Greta, can secure and maintain permanent, safe and supportive housing.

Goodwill Horizon House connected her with a community resource that provided her with a place she could stay for six months. In the meantime, staff coordinated a longer-term solution. A day before Greta’s stay with the community resource ended, she received a call asking her to come down to St. George Apartments, a bridge housing complex that offers wraparound services and an in-between space for people transitioning from homelessness into permanent housing.

Staff at St. George welcomed Greta with open arms and keys to her new apartment.

“I haven’t taken the keys’ lanyard off since I got them,” said Greta. “I’m a grateful person. I have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, food to eat, accommodations to cook and keep myself clean. This community is a beautiful place for people to transition into the next step.”

Greta is not only grateful for the housing opportunity, but also for people she’s gotten to know at Goodwill Horizon House and St. George. She’s developed strong relationships with her case manager as well as other residents in the complex. By leveraging the connection between Goodwill’s services and retail locations, the staff also helped Greta secure a job at a Goodwill store to supplement her income.

After making so much progress, Greta feels accomplished; however, she’s still looking to grow and achieve more. She’s working with St. George staff to improve her finances, all while striving to become a homeowner or rent an apartment so her granddaughters can visit.

“I’m going to continue to be successful at whatever I choose to do,” said Greta. “Goodwill Horizon House has made me feel like I can do what I need to do to survive. I can become whoever I choose to be. It’s on me.”

To learn more about Goodwill Horizon House, our services and outreach, visit our website: horizonhouse.cc.