Chrissy Wilkins was referred to Goodwill by Indiana's Vocational Rehabilitation Services program last year. She was born with Down syndrome and has worked for New Hope Services in Jeffersonville since graduating from high school in 1994. Chrissy was already taking swimming and art classes at the Clark County YMCA when she expressed an interest in taking on a housekeeping role there.

Born with cerebral palsy, Nathanial Gregory credits his successful high school experience in part to accommodations that were designed to help him overcome his educational barriers. Upon graduation, he enrolled in college – the first in his family to attend – and found himself in an unfamiliar academic setting with little knowledgeable guidance.

When Patrick Gnall first joined Goodwill in 2013, he was hired as an associate at the Fishers store. Having recently relocated from another state, he didn’t have a large support system or a professional credential. He experienced social anxiety and lacked direction for his future.

A native of Oklahoma, Ti’Sharon Thompson moved to Indiana to live with her aunt as a teenager. She discovered Indianapolis Metropolitan High School her junior year.

The typical student at The Excel Center® – Goodwill’s high school for adult learners – is between 18-24 years old, but returning to school at the age of 47 isn’t the only characteristic that separates Brenda Leake from most of her classmates.

Although a teenager at the time, when Dominique Daye learned she was pregnant, her priorities became her son and planning for their future. She didn't have a car or a stable living environment, so she moved from Indianapolis to O'Connor House, a home for single mothers and their children located in Carmel, where she stayed for more than 18 months until she could secure a place of her own.

Goodwill Young Leaders is comprised of professionals with diverse backgrounds and experiences who support and promote Goodwill's mission services in central and southern Indiana. They receive in depth tours of Goodwill behind the scenes and learn what Goodwill does and why it is so much more than a Goodwill Store. One of our newest Young Leaders is Gita Turnbull. We took a moment to ask her a little about her experience so far.

Lorena Salas, Goodwill’s 2003 Achiever of the Year, is a valued associate who has consistently demonstrated excellence during her 17-year career with us. Despite living with blindness and cerebral palsy, Lorena has continued to persist and thrive.