Imagine you’re one of the half million working-age Hoosiers who dropped out of high school. You work a full-time job but struggle to cover the basics and still rely on public assistance. You know you need a diploma to earn more, but where will you find the time? Who will care for your child while you’re in class? How will you get back and forth? As the barriers pile up, returning to school seems more and more impossible.

Every year during the first full week of May, Goodwill® organizations across the United States and Canada celebrate Goodwill Industries Week to highlight the defining principle of our mission — to change lives. As part of a tradition going back 117 years, Goodwill works with people experiencing barriers to employment, helping them secure a job, increase their education and access resources critical to achieving independence.

When people hear Goodwill, they often think about our retail stores, where Hoosiers can donate the items they no longer use, and shop for great deals and unique finds. Most also know we provide employment opportunities to people with disabilities, criminal histories and other barriers. Some even think that’s where Goodwill’s mission ends, but it’s actually where it begins.

When you donate and shop at Goodwill, you’re not just supporting jobs for people with employment barriers — you’re also giving an adult a second chance at a high school diploma, new moms regular visits with a registered nurse and so much more. Thanks to people like you across central and southern Indiana, thousands of lives are being changed every day.

That’s why I’m excited to introduce Achieve, our new semi-annual publication, where you’ll see how your support for Goodwill helps people increase their independence and reach their potential.

President's Message

It’s hard to believe that it has been a full year since the merger of the central and southern Indiana Goodwills. One of the primary motivations for the merger was the desire to increase the pace with which we could deliver mission services to southern Indiana.