When Heather Simmons learned about The Excel Center®, a free high school for adults, she’d been out of high school for 18 years, working in the fast food industry. At 35 years old, she  wanted more for herself and her family.

Over the years, we've had countless amazing costumes submitted to our annual Halloween Costume Contest known as “Thrill of the Hunt.” As you sift through Pinterest and browse the racks at Goodwill, let some of these submissions inspire your costume hunt. If you already have your costume from Goodwill, be sure to enter it into our costume contest now through November 3, 2017.

Michelle Williamson doesn’t remember the date or even the year that she lost both of her legs. Her memories are hazy. She was struggling with addiction and homelessness when she acquired frostbite in her toes. They became infected after doctors amputated them, resulting in the amputation of both legs from the knee down. Shortly after, her youngest son was born, and the state was threatening to take custody of him.

Paula Buford was a Qualified Medication Aide for 25 years, working primarily in nursing homes. In 2000, she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder resulting in varying degrees of paralysis. She went from working in a nursing home to living in one for seven months, receiving intense physical and speech therapy.

We’re big believers in growing imaginations while reducing waste which is one reason why we love DIY kids Halloween costumes made from Goodwill finds. A few years ago, we were inspired by the movie Frozen to try our hand at the lovable woodland creature, the reindeer.

Most people don’t dream up their Halloween costumes in February. Then again, most people aren’t among the 100 volunteers of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Guild, planning the country’s oldest haunted house — and the museum’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

In 2010, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana recognized that over half-a-million adults in Indiana lacked a high school diploma. Having already opened Indianapolis Metropolitan High School in 2004, a public charter school for traditional-aged students that focuses on college and career pathways, Goodwill was well positioned to meet this challenge.

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana developed work-based learning opportunities for employers that are seeking new talent pools for their company, and to serve Hoosier workers in need of critical, hands-on training opportunities. For minimal cost, employer partners receive the benefit of added labor, and the ability to preview before hiring as they work toward building a talented pool of skilled employees.