Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana recognizes and celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15), a period to commemorate the contributions, histories and cultures of Latino and Hispanic Americans.

My name is Natalie Morris, and this summer I had the opportunity to be the Corporate Giving Intern with Goodwill Foundation of Central and Southern Indiana. I am a rising junior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville where I am majoring in both Child Studies and Human and Organizational Development. 

For the past 25 years, Labcorp has partnered with Goodwill Commercial Services to generate hundreds of jobs for individuals with employment barriers here in Indianapolis, while impacting health across the globe. 

This July, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s reentry program, Goodwill New Beginnings, held its sixth annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Every year, this highly anticipated event connects the community with Indiana law enforcement and the Indiana Department of Corrections through an afternoon of friendly competition, camaraderie and fun.

For over 10 years, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s New Beginnings program has helped those who have been previously incarcerated reenter their communities. The program is designed to offer Hoosiers the resources to address the barriers they encounter after being released from the criminal justice system. 

Last year was a big year for Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana as we educated, employed and served more individuals than ever before. Since launching our new Strategic Plan two years ago, we’ve made significant progress on our objectives and goals.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a period to celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities. Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, a proud employer of more than 1,600 people with disabilities, considers NDEAM a perfect opportunity to share our employees’ stories and distribute disability resources.

In May 2022, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana and Cook Medical officially opened our new manufacturing facility built in partnership with the northeast Indianapolis community. The goal was to bring opportunities in education, health and employment to a community that experiences high poverty, high unemployment and limited opportunities due to corporate desertion in the preceding decades.

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP) pairs first-time parents with registered nurses who provide ongoing home visits and support to families. However, providing the very best start for children during the earliest, most developmentally critical years often requires support for both NFP Nurse and mother. Many essential resources available to our families and nurses are rooted in the work of the NFP Community Health Workers. 

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana partnered with local organizations across Indianapolis to host two drive-thru turkey giveaway events on the near and far east side of the city this past November.