Ten years ago, a door opened in Shelbyville that changed the trajectory of hundreds of lives. Today, The Excel Center®, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s free public high school for adults, proudly announces the 10th anniversary of its Shelbyville location.

When Lynne came to Goodwill of Central Illinois in the fall of 2025, she knew that she could do more with her life. She wanted to maintain employment somewhere that actually fulfilled her. To achieve that goal, she was recommended to work with Beyond Barriers, an employment program for neurodiverse individuals.

March is Indiana Disability Awareness Month, a time to recognize the many ways people with disabilities strengthen our workplaces and our communities. It is also a moment that reminds me why the work we do at Goodwill matters so deeply.

When we think of a veteran in need of assistance, many times we assume that help is needed soon after a discharge, but that’s not always the case. Many times veterans can lead successful, well-adjusted lives only to need help years after their service.

Excited to learn more about having a healthy birth and breastfeeding, Desiray Graves enrolled in Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP), a maternal-child program that pairs registered nurses with first-time families. Until participants’ children turn two, nurses walk alongside their parents and deliver trusted information so they can provide the very best start during the earliest, most developmentally critical years.

When Sarah walked into the Goodwill Outlet on Washington Street in 2019 to apply for a job, she was carrying the weight of her past, the uncertainty of recovery and the urgency of starting over. Newly sober, navigating the impact of criminal history, and living in transitional housing after completing a rehabilitation program, she knew finding employment wouldn’t be easy. She also knew it was necessary. What Sarah couldn’t have known that day was just how deeply that decision would change her life.

Behind every number is a person – a parent finding stability, a student earning a diploma, a neighbor securing stable housing. At Goodwill, measurable impact isn’t just something we report. It’s something happening every single day. In 2025, Goodwill’s mission came to life in powerful, measurable ways.

Austin was just one credit short of earning his high school diploma, but at the time, that single credit felt like a mountain to climb. School had never been a place where he felt comfortable or successful. Sitting still in a classroom was difficult with ADHD, and he often questioned whether finishing school even mattered. By his senior year, life had become even more complicated. Frequent moves and an abusive relationship made it difficult to focus on anything beyond simply getting through each day.

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.