Jenny Kakasuleff
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Referred to Goodwill’s New Beginnings program by his parole officer in 2017, Christopher Holifield was determined to make a change, for himself as well as his children.
In 1929, Helen Krebs Barth boarded a trolley in New Albany, Indiana. She was headed to Louisville, Kentucky to see a speech by Rev. Edgar J. Helms, the Methodist minister who had founded Goodwill in Boston nearly 30 years earlier. Rev. Helms was spreading the message of Goodwill and encouraging people to develop operations in their own struggling communities.
DeShawn Minor reflects on his early youth as a difficult time. He didn’t fully understand how his actions impacted those around him, especially his mom and younger siblings. He describes how he had anger issues and “goofed off” a lot at school, resulting in several suspensions and finally, expulsion. He was placed into a group home as a teen and an alternative school in another city.
Correy Marshall met his wife, LaKeisha, after his grandmother stopped into the Goodwill retail store where she was working at the time.
“She approached me and said, ‘You look like you would be a good wife for my grandson,’” LaKeisha said.
Jessica Posadas was finishing her senior year at Crispus Attucks High School when she learned she was pregnant with her son Byron, now one year old. She was one of only two students selected for a Simon Foundation Scholarship. Jessica kept her sights set on her goals and leveraged her support systems to ensure she stayed on track with her education.
Sandra Martinez was a freshman in high school when she learned she was pregnant. She struggled to keep up with her course work and was eventually forced to withdraw. Fortunately, Sandra has a solid support system that is committed to ensuring she earns her diploma and succeeds as a parent.
Novah Norris Campbell was a junior in high school when she learned she was pregnant. At 14 weeks, she enrolled in Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership, a program that pairs first-time, low-income moms with a registered nurse who helps them achieve a healthy pregnancy and provide competent care for their babies.
Jasmine Bible was 17 years old when she got her first job as a cashier at Goodwill. She struggled with finding reliable transportation, stable housing and dependable child care for her son with special needs. Eager to advance her career, Jasmine took advantage of every opportunity available to her through Goodwill.
Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana recently hosted more than 700 volunteers from Eli Lilly and Company, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, for Lilly’s Global Day of Service. This initiative is one of the largest single-day volunteer programs of any global enterprise.