Born in Indianapolis with fond memories of attending Auntie Mame's Preschool near 38th and Emerson and elementary school at IPS School 92, a few blocks from the Goodwill Commercial Services manufacturing facility at 38th and Sheridan, Juanita Easterling, director of plant operations, is returning to her roots. 

Goodwill Commercial Services, a division of Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, has been providing high-quality janitorial services to central Indiana businesses and government buildings for more than 35 years. We also implement the AbilityOne program, which employs over 125 Hoosiers who are blind or have significant disabilities. 

For nearly 75 years, Goodwill Commercial Services has provided advanced manufacturing, assembly, and packaging services to leading companies.  Goodwill Commercial Services operates under ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 Quality Management Systems utilizing lean principles, cutting-edge inventory management, quality control, and engineering capabilities to support customers.  

In 1989, upon graduating from high school, Shawn Basore joined Goodwill’s Commercial Services division. He had no work history or job skills and participated in Goodwill’s Work Experience Program, which provided job training and employment services to persons with disabilities, preparing them for successful employment. 

Indiana University’s Public Policy Institute (PPI) estimates that the new medical device manufacturing facility at 38th and Sheridan in Indianapolis, built in partnership with Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana and Cook Medical, will have an estimated economic impact of $25.9 million.

Every day, Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana empowers thousands of Hoosiers with
health, education and employment opportunities. For example, over 7,000 people have
graduated from our high schools since 2009. But this life-changing work simply would not be
possible without the support and collaboration of community partners.

Did you know that Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s Commercial Services division holds a partnership with AbilityOne, a federal program that is one of the largest sources for employment for people who are blind or have significant disabilities? Goodwill Commercial Services is one of the approximately 500 nonprofit organizations that employ individuals with barriers to employment, such as disabilities, and provides quality services to the Federal Government at a fair market price. 

In honor of Veterans Day, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana would like to highlight Brian Reynolds, an Army National Guard veteran and Goodwill Commercial Services team member who currently works at the Harrison Village Commissary through the Goodwill Commercial Services AbilityOne program.  

As we continue to feature the achievements, stories, and personalities of some of Goodwill’s finest employees, we wanted to highlight John Wessel, a leader working at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse, a Goodwill AbilityOne contract site. 

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is an annual awareness campaign led by the U.S. Department of Labor.  Created in 1988, NDEAM is celebrated throughout the month of October to recognize people throughout our nation who are living and working with disabilities.