Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP), a program that pairs first-time mothers with a registered nurse, celebrated its 10th anniversary in October. Goodwill’s NFP supports the Indiana Department of Health’s campaign to reduce infant death, provide prenatal care and teach parents about smoking cessation, breastfeeding and safe sleep. 

The Children's Learning Center (CLC) by Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana opened in June 1980 as BridgePointe Children’s Academy in response to a growing need for childcare services for children with disabilities. Today, the CLC provides over 10,000 hours of childcare for all children, challenged to gifted, ranging from six weeks old to five years old, which includes more than 150 families each year.

Mental health conditions are common during the perinatal period, affecting 1-5 pregnant/postpartum people.  While most people are familiar with the term Postpartum Depression, pregnant/postpartum people can actually experience a myriad of mental health conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and, in rare cases, psychosis. 

Diana Wolfe, an immigrant and adopted orphan from Latvia — a ​​country of northeastern Europe and the middle of the three Baltic states — has been recently promoted as Retail Store Manager in Whitestown. Diana cannot wait to continue growing her career with Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, hoping to someday adopt a child of her own. 

As we continue to feature the achievements, stories, and personalities of some of Goodwill’s finest employees, we wanted to highlight John Wessel, a leader working at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse, a Goodwill AbilityOne contract site. 

October is National Dropout Awareness Month. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 12% of Hoosier working-age adults lack a high school diploma. The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s free high school for adults, is working to decrease that rate by providing adult students the opportunity to pick up where they left off in school, providing support and resources to meet their academic and career goals. 

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is an annual awareness campaign led by the U.S. Department of Labor.  Created in 1988, NDEAM is celebrated throughout the month of October to recognize people throughout our nation who are living and working with disabilities. 

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana is celebrating the opening of its newest store in Danville on Thursday, October 14, at 9 a.m. Located at 8 Ridge Avenue, 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 donation center is also open during normal business hours.

Lawrence Aboyer, soon to be Junior at Purdue University, recently finished his summer engineering internship at Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana. Lawrence worked under Matt Byam, Manufacturing Engineer, and Clara Walker, Quality Engineer at Goodwill Commercial Services.