When Teresa Smith joined Goodwill Commercial Services in 2009, she was re-entering society and the workforce after a period of incarceration and a decade-long addiction to methamphetamine, which led to her losing custody of her son. Her history with the criminal justice system made it difficult to secure a job, but she approached the opportunity at Goodwill with a focus on improving her professional skills and rebuilding her life. 

Imagine being denied a basic education unless you pledge allegiance to political beliefs that you do not ascribe to. This is what Rizan Hajji Mohamed faced when he was forced to flee his home country of Syria. 

It’s been two years since Pete Yonkman, CEO of Cook Medical, a medical device manufacturing company based in Bloomington, Indiana, approached Goodwill’s leadership about partnering on a unique project. Those conversations came on the heels of the murder of George Floyd and pandemic-related racial disparities and included questions about social justice and the role we play as employers in helping to strengthen our communities. 

Oumou Samake was born in Africa but lived in Paris, where she received a degree in social work prior to immigrating to the United States with her husband in 2016. Shortly after arriving, she learned she was pregnant. 

When Johnny Manson joined Goodwill in October 2016 as a part-time donation attendant, he had been struggling to secure employment due to past legal issues and a lifelong history of depression. 

Born in Indianapolis with fond memories of attending Auntie Mame's Preschool near 38th and Emerson and elementary school at IPS School 92, a few blocks from the Goodwill Commercial Services manufacturing facility at 38th and Sheridan, Juanita Easterling, director of plant operations, is returning to her roots. 

After separating from her husband of 10 years, Samantha Russell turned to drugs in an effort to cope with the stress and anxiety she was experiencing. 

Bea Sweet joined the Goodwill retail crew at our Columbus location in November 2021. Although she has the support of a few friends and her co-workers at Goodwill, Bea has experienced the judgment and stigma associated with coming out as a transgender person. She began living as a woman almost seven years ago, when she was 41 years old. 

When Tenera Lloyd enrolled in the Nurse-Family Partnership program, she was in an abusive relationship and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. A pregnant mom with limited outside support, she felt hopelessly stuck in her situation but knew she wanted better for her daughter. After going into labor three weeks early due to a domestic situation, she knew it was time to take action.

Indianapolis Metropolitan High School is a best-fit school for teenage students experiencing circumstances that may present a barrier to education. In 2020, those circumstances included a pandemic that entirely uprooted education across the globe, but our students adapted and persevered, and our faculty did an amazing job at ensuring we could continue to provide high-quality, rigorous instruction and individualized support.