I’ve noticed that as I get older, the decor in my home gets a bit more “boringtasteful” — and Halloween is no exception. Gone are the gory Halloween displays that I helped create with my roommates in college.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, consumers are discarding more clothing and textiles than ever before, with 12 million tons ending up in landfills in 2012 alone. As responsible stewards of your donations, Goodwill strives to be  as  environmentally low impact as possible. We can assure you the smallest donations — even your unmatched socks — support Goodwill’s mission.

Over the years, we've had countless amazing costumes submitted to our annual Halloween Costume Contest known as “Thrill of the Hunt.” As you sift through Pinterest and browse the racks at Goodwill, let some of these submissions inspire your costume hunt. If you already have your costume from Goodwill, be sure to enter it into our costume contest now through November 3, 2017.

Most people don’t dream up their Halloween costumes in February. Then again, most people aren’t among the 100 volunteers of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Guild, planning the country’s oldest haunted house — and the museum’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

Lisa Sledge's first client, in 2011, was a 19-year-old, married Burmese woman referred to Nurse-Family Partnership by a Southside high school. Lisa immediately decided an honest approach was best, "Forgive my ignorance," she said, "but I don't know much about your culture." 

It’s apparent within minutes of meeting Verdell Evans that she has a burning desire to succeed. Previously, she was fueled by negative influences and destructive choices. She left home at a young age and used and sold drugs. She was incarcerated twice, serving nearly 18 years in prison. Having fulfilled the terms of her sentence and parole, Evans is now blazing a trail that she had never thought possible.

Recently, Jeff Bezos tweeted to the world a “request for ideas…” and has received more than 43,000 responses.

It is no surprise to any philanthropic individual that Mr. Bezos may be conflicted about which organization is most deserving of his donation. Like any good investor, he would like his investment to have meaning . In his tweet he talks about his desire to help people in the “here and now” as well as “the short term,” but at the same time wants his investment to have a lasting impact. Therein lies the struggle

I have a proposal for altruistic individuals such as Mr. Bezos— looking to satisfy that desire for helping in the here and now, but with a lasting impact. Give adults the chance to earn their high school diploma and a certification, empowering them to secure a living wage, and breaking the cycle of generational poverty.

Thirty million adults in the U.S. lack a high school diploma and more than 3 million people drop out annually. This persistent problem leaves a significant portion of the population unprepared to succeed in the 21st-century workforce and increasingly difficult to earn family-sustaining wages. Nearly two-thirds of adults who do not complete high school are living in poverty. This population is more likely to require government assistance and is eight times more likely to be incarcerated than high school graduates. These difficulties not only affect the individuals, but also their children, families and communities.

The Excel Center is a unique, tuition-free public high school, providing adults who previously dropped out the opportunity to reengage in their education.Students complete a rigorous curriculum to earn a Core 40 diploma, and receive future-focused guidance and support toward a postsecondary education or career-enhancing certification.The Excel Center operates on 8-week terms, accelerating the pace of coursework - creating quick wins and fast completion of course requirements. Open enrollment periods several times a year allow adults to begin pursuing their diploma sooner rather than later.

To you, Jeff Bezos, we extend an invitation to explore our proposal. Determine if changing the trajectory of a family’s future through education is a good fit for your own philanthropic activity.  You help the here and now by providing an adult the opportunity to graduate high school and gain a better career.In the long term, you’re helping set their children on the path of higher education and higher earnings, effectively making a generational impact on the world you live in, not to mention, increasing the purchasing power of your future Amazon and Whole Foods shoppers.

Night School, a documentary film following three adult students working to earn their Indiana Core 40 high school diploma and technical certifications from The Excel Center will be showing for a limited time this June at the Indiana State Museum.

Cheree Sampson and Suton Sykes have always emphasized the importance of education to their four boys, all under age 15. Watching the boys go to school each day, Sampson and Sykes knew it was time to get their high school diplomas so they could take steps toward life goals that include providing a stable environment for their children.