Montez Day knows firsthand that a single moment does not define a lifetime. Today, he serves as the Manager of Goodwill New Beginnings at Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, a role he stepped into in 2025 after starting as a facilitator and receiving several promotions since joining the organization in September 2021. But his path to leadership was shaped by years of transformation, education, and an unwavering belief in the power of second chances.

In the heart of Indianapolis, a unique residential community is doing more than just providing a place to sleep; it's strengthening the city’s economic and social fabric. Riverview Apartments, a premier workforce housing development, represents a vision of a more inclusive and sustainable urban environment.

Goodwill New Beginnings is Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s reentry program, offering resources, wraparound support and intensive case management services to those who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. This program not only helps program participants secure healthcare and housing, but also helps them develop the skills and preparation they need to progress professionally.

When Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana and Per Scholas officially partnered in late 2022, they shared a simple but powerful goal: to open doors to opportunity through education. Per Scholas, a national nonprofit that provides no-cost technology career training and job connections, especially for individuals traditionally underrepresented in tech, moved into Goodwill’s corporate offices on West Michigan Street in January 2023. By March, the first cohort of learners had begun, bringing new energy, hope, and possibility into the space.

After taking on more financial responsibility at home, Travis Bryant wanted support to be able to improve his financial wellbeing. In 2017, while employed at a Goodwill retail store, he started working with a mission coach. Goodwill Mission Coaches work with employees at over 110 sites on life goals and barrier removal, ensuring that they have the resources they need to be successful.

Ten years ago, a door opened in Shelbyville that changed the trajectory of hundreds of lives. Today, The Excel Center®, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s free public high school for adults, proudly announces the 10th anniversary of its Shelbyville location.

When Lynne came to Goodwill of Central Illinois in the fall of 2025, she knew that she could do more with her life. She wanted to maintain employment somewhere that actually fulfilled her. To achieve that goal, she was recommended to work with Beyond Barriers, an employment program for neurodiverse individuals.

Excited to learn more about having a healthy birth and breastfeeding, Desiray Graves enrolled in Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP), a maternal-child program that pairs registered nurses with first-time families. Until participants’ children turn two, nurses walk alongside their parents and deliver trusted information so they can provide the very best start during the earliest, most developmentally critical years.

Austin was just one credit short of earning his high school diploma, but at the time, that single credit felt like a mountain to climb. School had never been a place where he felt comfortable or successful. Sitting still in a classroom was difficult with ADHD, and he often questioned whether finishing school even mattered. By his senior year, life had become even more complicated. Frequent moves and an abusive relationship made it difficult to focus on anything beyond simply getting through each day.