Observed each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebrates the value and talents of workers with disabilities. It’s a time to reaffirm Goodwill’s commitment to creating access to quality employment for individuals with disabilities and promoting a more equitable workplace. This commitment is central to Goodwill's mission.

A commitment to personal and professional growth drives Goodwill Commercial Services’ Manufacturing Department Supervisor, Evan Boehner. In 2021, Evan joined Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s Commercial Services team as an hourly associate at the Bloomington location and quickly became a valued member of the facility’s leadership team.

Before joining Goodwill manufacturing, a division of Goodwill Commercial Services, Evan struggled with addiction for over 12 years, which eventually led to three years of incarceration on drug-related charges. During this time, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact all aspects of life.

"Being incarcerated gave me the time I needed to address my addiction,” Evan said.

Upon his release in 2021, Evan joined the Amethyst House, a Bloomington-based nonprofit, United Way agency that provides residential and outpatient services for people with drug and alcohol addiction. During his time there, a friend suggested working for Goodwill. Soon after, Evan joined the Bloomington Goodwill manufacturing team as an assembler, where he was welcomed with moral support and understanding.

Evan utilized the support of his Goodwill Mission Coach, a life and career coach who works one-on-one with employees, graduates, and program participants to help them achieve personal and professional goals. This support helped him prepare to transition out of the Amethyst House and into his own place.

"I noticed working at Goodwill was different than other jobs. They wanted to give me a shot," Evan said.

Evan found success at Goodwill, earning multiple promotions before accepting his current role as the Bloomington facility’s Manufacturing Department Supervisor. In this role, he focuses on operational performance, quality, and efficiency while supporting his team and facility's hiring, safety, and learning and development. In addition to his work responsibilities, Evan attends Purdue University Global. He is on track to graduate in December 2024, achieving his associate degree in business administration and management. Evan utilized Goodwill's Education Support Program to help cover the cost of his tuition.

Evan strives to positively impact his team, just as his coworkers have affected him. Since starting at Goodwill, he has achieved many victories and anticipates celebrating five years of sobriety in November 2024. He consistently advocates for Goodwill in hiring new talent for the manufacturing team and supports his team members and their goals.

"Looking back, I’ve had a lot of structure and opportunity working at Goodwill. Now, I have a home, a family, and an actual career," Evan said.

Are you interested in a new career opportunity in manufacturing? Check out our careers page for current employment opportunities.

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. 

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a period to celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities. Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana is proud to be an employer to nearly 1,600 persons with disabilities which equates to one-third of our workforce. Many of our employees with disabilities are empowered through accommodations and understanding to increase their independence and reach their full potential.

From a young age, Kane Sparks has been passionate about working with and helping others. In high school, for instance, he volunteered at a campus snack bar and excelled in his role. After graduating, he was excited to enter the workforce and felt confident in his job prospects. 

Thanks to your support, lives are being changed in your community. In addition to significant growth in our Retail, eCommerce and Commercial Services divisions over the past year, we currently employ nearly 5,000 Hoosiers – 61% of whom have barriers to employment, like a disability, criminal history or lack of a high school diploma. 

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.

When Teresa Smith joined Goodwill Commercial Services in 2009, she was re-entering society and the workforce after a period of incarceration and a decade-long addiction to methamphetamine, which led to her losing custody of her son. Her history with the criminal justice system made it difficult to secure a job, but she approached the opportunity at Goodwill with a focus on improving her professional skills and rebuilding her life. 

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. 

After 14 years of missionary work overseas, Tim Hudson returned to his hometown of Indianapolis to take care of his parents and provide them with the daily and nightly care they needed. When they passed in 2019, Tim had trouble finding another occupation that could help with expenses. He regularly applied to job opportunities, but his lack of recent work history and age were constant barriers to achieving employment with a life-sustaining wage.