Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana does far more than collect donations. A big part of what we do is provide opportunities for workforce development; giving employees the skills, training, and support they need to grow in their careers. By creating training programs built specifically for Goodwill Commercial Services staff, Goodwill helps team members turn into strong, confident leaders.

Every day, Goodwill changes lives through employment, education, housing and health. To serve thousands of individuals daily, we have a workforce who contributes to our mission in a variety of ways, whether that contribution is helping customers in our retail stores or educating students in one of our schools.

Greta Maxey had to retire from 30 years of continuous employment early, but she found solace in her apartment. She loved the area and the home she had built for herself. There was only one problem: the rent kept rising – and Greta couldn’t keep up. Despite her best efforts, eventually, she was evicted from her apartment in 2025.

While searching for employment opportunities at one of Goodwill of Central Illinois’ monthly hiring events, Hunter Raissner was referred to Goodwill’s Beyond Barriers program. Beyond Barriers is a program for neurodiverse individuals to receive assistance with building job skills and support with securing and maintaining employment.

At Goodwill, our mission is to change lives every day by empowering people to increase their independence and reach their potential through employment, education, housing and health. However, that mission doesn’t just apply to the people we serve in our mission programs; we also want to ensure that empowerment is extended to our over 6,000 Goodwill employees, whom we want to care for holistically.

Employment is a core value at Goodwill; we believe that all people can reach their greatest potential through their job. Through our retail stores, we turn your donations and purchases into employment opportunities for those in our community, particularly those with barriers like criminal history, a disability or limited education.

For Amanda Witham, a Site Lead at the Goodwill store in Clarksville, Indiana, her past and trauma followed her like a shadow. Her journey is a profound testament to the fact that experiencing homelessness is not where a story has to end, but a season that can be overcome with resilience and the right support system.

In the heart of Franklin, Indiana, the local Goodwill of Southern & Central Indiana retail store is more than just a place to find a hidden treasure or a vintage sweater. For Carly Stevason, it’s the place where the blurry edges of her world finally came into sharp focus.

In honor of Military Appreciation Month, we pause to honor the men and women who have dedicated their lives to protecting our freedoms. At Goodwill Commercial Services, we are especially proud to share the story of James Brown, affectionately known by his colleagues as “JB.” For 24 years, JB has been a cornerstone of the Fort Benjamin Harrison Commissary location, bringing the same discipline and heart to his role today as he did during his decades of military service.

Life has a funny way of taking us on detours. For Wendi, that detour started early, when she was just 16 years old and she dropped out of high school.