Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana is always proud to highlight our hardworking leaders, dedicated to achieving our mission of changing lives every day through employment, education and health. As a Goodwill New Beginnings team member, Montez Day helps those who have experienced the justice system.

Goodwill New Beginnings is designed to fulfill the needs of people striving for successful reentry after incarceration. The program offers resources to help individuals secure housing and healthcare, reinstate their driver’s license, address legal challenges and more.

As a facilitator, Montez leads Goodwill New Beginnings classes, another essential piece of the program. In these sessions, program participants learn about the hard and soft skills they need to overcome the barriers associated with reentry.

Montez is passionate about helping participants better themselves and improve their circumstances. He also enjoys establishing relationships with community partners, which in turn supports members of those communities.

“I am working in a field that I love,” said Montez. “My work has offered me an opportunity to express myself in a healthy way.”

Montez has also experienced the justice system in his life; through Goodwill New Beginnings, he has utilized his personal experiences and challenges to help participants through similar situations. Of all his memorable experiences being a part of the program’s team, he finds it difficult to pick just one. 

“One of my most notable experiences is being able to provide food for people who are struggling, through food drives and our community partners,” said Montez. “However, I love seeing our participants be successful too.”

People striving to reenter their communities often have barriers to securing safe housing, finding family-sustaining employment and building supportive social networks. People outside the reentry field can often overlook these barriers, but Montez appreciates the support Goodwill has provided to the program’s participants.

“Even though they are not justice-involved, there are many people at Goodwill who have an understanding of the demographic touched by the criminal justice system,” said Montez. “They understand who we work with and want to help.”

Montez is one of over 4,000 employees contributing to Goodwill’s mission daily.

“Goodwill’s donations are used to help people who are less fortunate. Through programs like Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership and Goodwill New Beginnings, we change lives every day,” said Montez. “Working at Goodwill allows me to stay grateful and humble.”