Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana recently celebrated the opening of its store in Lawrence, Indiana, on Tuesday, February 17. Located at 11615 Fox Road, the store features a large inventory of clothing, housewares, toys, books and more. Store hours are Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The store accepts donations during normal business hours.

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love and connection. However, between life and work, the holiday can get stale year to year. Have you been to all your favorite restaurants? Growing tired of gifting candy and flowers? Whether you’re spending Valentine’s Day with your significant other or throwing a Galentine’s party, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana can ensure that your Valentine’s Day will be special!

Every year, during the last week of January, communities are federally mandated to conduct a single-night census that identifies residents experiencing homelessness, including those in emergency shelters, transitional housing, and unsheltered locations. This census is called “Point-in-Time Count.” In Marion County, this census was led by the Coalition of Homelessness Intervention & Prevention (CHIP) and conducted by outreach professionals countywide.

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana takes great pride in celebrating our employees' many years of dedication to the mission. Those who have achieved milestones of over 15 years of service are recognized each year at the annual Service Award Luncheon.

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana hosts its full-day Education and Mission Conference (GEM) every year. It’s a professional development event meant to connect mission and education staff across our service area. It provides an opportunity for them to learn from each other and share best practices through presentations and workshops.

Every year, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) with an event that connects Goodwill employees, internal resources and community partners specializing in disability services.

For over a year, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s career coaching and workforce intermediary, Goodwill TalentSource, has partnered with BMO Bank to bring opportunities in banking and financial services to untapped talent in Indianapolis through BMORE. This program strives to remove barriers that may prevent people from moving into a career in banking. One example of a barrier is limited education.

Goodwill TalentSource™, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s career coaching and workforce intermediary, has had the great opportunity to partner with The Global Good Fund and Amani Institute to pilot the GoodBiz Entrepreneurial Leadership Development Program. The program is equipping 10 small business owners or entrepreneurs within Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s mission and education network with the tools to grow their businesses, become stronger leaders and work towards their business goals.

At Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, two thirds of our over 6,000 employees have a barrier to employment such as a disability, a lack of high school diploma or criminal background. Another barrier that is common in the workforce but often overlooked is age.

On September 9, The Greater Kokomo Economic Alliance and Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana came together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Goodwill store on the west side of Kokomo (2222 West Sycamore Street (SR 22)). To commemorate the anniversary, a ribbon cutting was held at the front of the building, featuring speakers from both organizations.