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. 

Recent graduate Brielle Miles took new steps to grow her career this summer through Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s internship program. Brielle worked as an Employee and Development Training Department (EDAT) intern under her supervisor Justin DeGuzman, with Goodwill’s Commercial Services division. 

Rocky Nolen is a Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana employee who currently works as part of the janitorial team at the Army Reserves on 96th street in Indianapolis. As a member of the Indiana Army Reserves from 1978-1986, this role is perfect for him. Rocky has overcome several obstacles since the start of his journey with Goodwill, including drug addiction, experiencing homelessness and hospitalization due to a coma. Today though, Rocky is able to support a healthy, beautiful family thanks to his drive to overcome life’s challenges and a training program he learned about in 2005. 

June 19, or “Juneteenth” as it’s commonly known, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved Black residents in Texas learned from Union soldiers that they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation more than two years before. 

When Teresa Smith joined Goodwill Commercial Services in 2009, she was re-entering society and the workforce after a period of incarceration. 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. 

In honor of Women’s History Month, we sat down with a few of the women leaders in Goodwill’s Commercial Services division who positively impact their teams and Goodwill’s mission each and every day. To celebrate this month of recognition and the impact of powerful women throughout history, we asked them to share who they admire and what Women’s History Month means to them.