June is Pride Month, a time dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ identities. Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana is proud to join the celebration and highlight LGBTQ+ people in our network, helping us work toward our mission of changing lives through education, health and employment.

Ash Patel is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) administrative coordinator. For over 10 years, Goodwill NFP has served over 8,000 families, pairing them with registered nurses and supporting them as they provide the very best start for their children. While NFP Nurses visit families face-to-face, administrative coordinators are behind the scenes, ensuring nurses and parents are connected.

Ash is one of the first program representatives who families interact with. Through this role, they answer questions from parents who are curious about the inner workings of the program.

“I think a lot of people are unsure of what Goodwill NFP is in the first place,” said Ash. “Some people think clients come to us or that we're a medical office. Our program is special because we have nurses who do home visits, but these nurses don’t replace any of the client’s current medical teams. They offer extra support with medical advice throughout pregnancy and until the child is two.”

After graduating from Indiana University in 2023, they became interested in working at Goodwill NFP because of the program’s focus on participants’ building self-sufficiency.

“In general, Goodwill has a lot of mission programs that help people get back on their feet and gain independence,” said Ash. “It’s pretty cool that their programs focus on self-sufficiency.”

While working with NFP Nurses and families, Ash has resonated with another aspect of Goodwill’s culture. They are a member of Goodwill NFP’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) committee, participating in discussion and brainstorming efforts. They are passionate about making a difference in how people view DEI work.

“Just being able to discuss issues and update things with the DEI committee has been really special and has really stood out to me,” said Ash. “We want to create a safe space, where people can continue to learn and ask questions.”

Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, Ash’s perspective gives their DEI committee colleagues more insight into gender inclusivity in health. As for Pride Month, they consider this period of celebration to hold several meanings.

“It's a month where we more safely celebrate our identities in a public communal way,” said Ash. “It's also a reminder of how far we've come and how far we have to go in terms of rights and safety for people in our community.”

In June, LGBTQ+ entertainers gain greater access to venues and platforms to share their work. Ash celebrates by supporting friends in the community who have Pride-focused shows and performances. They embrace their own pride by working toward being more comfortable about having productive and safe conversations about their identity.  

“It’s about letting myself be a little bit more vulnerable about what my identity is to me,” said Ash.

Goodwill NFP supports first-time families and helps uncover their strengths as parents. To refer yourself or someone else to the program, visit goodwillnfp.org.