When you donate, shop and make financial gifts to Goodwill, you're changing the lives of thousands of the most vulnerable Hoosiers. We’re so thankful for supporters like you who are making an impact in central and southern Indiana. Together, we're changing lives. THANK YOU!
In 2019, when Charity Watkins became pregnant with her daughter, she enrolled in Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership®, a maternal health program that pairs moms with registered nurses. As she participated in this program, Charity expressed her desire to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Her nurse referred her to Goodwill Ignite.
Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP) pairs first-time parents with registered nurses who provide ongoing home visits and support to families. However, providing the very best start for children during the earliest, most developmentally critical years often requires support for both NFP Nurse and mother. Many essential resources available to our families and nurses are rooted in the work of the NFP Community Health Workers.
When Dea'Jenay Reid discovered she was pregnant with her first child, she was 23 and finishing a rigorous nursing school program. While the idea of parenting brought a lot of feelings of excitement, it also brought many uncertainties and feelings of anxiety. When she learned of Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s Nurse-Family Partnership® program during a prenatal visit with her doctor, she was eager to enroll.
Hired in October 2011, Marilynn was the first nurse home visitor to be a part of Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s Nurse-Family PartnershipⓇ (NFP). She learned of Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership from a former colleague, Mary Webber, who supported NFP coming to Indiana. Mary encouraged Marilynn to join the program, thinking she’d be a great fit. As for Marilynn, she found her passion conducting home visits while working at Indiana University. She applied to the NFP position hoping to turn that passion into a career.
When Tenera Lloyd enrolled in the Nurse-Family Partnership program, she was in an abusive relationship and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. A pregnant mom with limited outside support, she felt hopelessly stuck in her situation but knew she wanted better for her daughter. After going into labor three weeks early due to a domestic situation, she knew it was time to take action.
In 2015, Amber Burleson, PMHNP-BC and her husband moved from Tennessee to Indianapolis where Amber began working as a bilingual NFP Nurse with Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana’s Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP) serving mothers whose first language is Spanish. Amber enjoyed her work as a bilingual nurse home visitor and quickly realized at the base of everything were mental health needs.
The benefits of walking during pregnancy are unending. Access to an outdoor space and fresh air provides a great low impact cardio opportunity that can contribute to better sleep, relief from stress and physical discomfort while delivering an energy boost for expecting parents. For the majority of Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) clients, however, walking outdoors in their own neighborhoods is not an option. The reasons for this are directly related to various neighborhood factors, including railroads, poorly draining areas, industry, close proximity to interstate highways and freeways and more.