Most people recognize Goodwill as a thrift store, but did you know that Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana is also a local not-for-profit? August 17th is National Nonprofit Day and it’s a perfect time to highlight Goodwill’s mission and the impact of that mission in the communities we serve.

Every time you donate or shop at your local Goodwill store, the proceeds from those items help to support education, health, housing and employment programs that empower people to increase their independence and reach their full potential. 

For health, we implement Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership®, a maternal-child program that pairs registered nurses with first-time parents for ongoing home visits. Since 2011, we have served over 9,500 families, walking alongside them during their children’s most developmentally critical years.

Goodwill provides education opportunities for adults and youth through The Excel Center® and Indianapolis Metropolitan High School respectively. The Excel Center, Goodwill’s tuition-free high school for adults, not only helps students earn Core 40 diplomas but also industry certifications and college credits. Our Goodwill operates 18 schools throughout central and southern Indiana and has celebrated more than 10,000 graduates. 

Indianapolis Metropolitan High School is a best-fit school for teens experiencing circumstances that may present a barrier to education, with an emphasis on ensuring students enroll in college or enter into a career that offers a living wage post-graduation. 

Employment is critical to self-sufficiency, and is a core initiative of Goodwill’s mission. Goodwill not only directly employs over 5,000 people in the state of Indiana, but also operates programs and services that focus on employability, skills training, industry certifications and more – with sustainable employment as a short or long-term goal. One of these programs include Goodwill New Beginnings, a reentry program that helps those impacted by the criminal justice system develop technical and soft skills.

Included in Goodwill’s mission is a commitment to making sure that our employees benefit from the mission as well. Employees are encouraged to earn their Core 40 at The Excel Center or join Goodwill New Beginnings if they’re looking for intensive reentry support – but that’s not all. Goodwill ensures that our employees have the stepping stones they need to reach their goals – whether that goal is furthering their education, starting their wellness journey or finding a new career.

We offer tuition reimbursement and assistance, which helps employees fund a new certification or degree. For those looking to improve their health or stay active, we offer wellness grants for employees to access gardening tools, exercise equipment and more. Over the past several years, mental health has been critical to Goodwill – and we’ve improved the number and quality of tools that our employees can access.

Oftentimes, employees are connected to these benefits through Goodwill Mission Coaches or Nurse Health Coaches. Mission coaches are life and career experts who help employees identify and set long and short-term financial, educational, professional and personal goals. Nurse Health Coaches facilitate opportunities for employees to improve their health and wellness, including monitoring blood pressure or offering support to help manage chronic illness.

We want our employees to raise their hand and utilize Goodwill’s resources when they can. Our staff is an extension of our mission and the embodiment of one of our key organizational values – to demonstrate respect for the dignity, worth and uniqueness of all people.

Visit goodwillindy.org/what-we-do to learn more about Goodwill’s mission and impact.