Finding healing in faith while incarcerated

Cory Tipton doesn’t make any excuses but admits his lack of adult guidance led him down the wrong path as a teen.

Dianna Tolentino was referred to Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership® program by her OB in 2013.

Grace is a typical 5-year-old who likes to play dress up and watch cartoons on YouTube. She’s healthy, has lots of friends and has hit every developmental milestone since infancy. She’s eager to start kindergarten. Each of these things is a small miracle given that her mother’s journey to Indianapolis began 20 years ago and more than 8,000 miles away.

“If I do it, then you have to do it, too.” These were the last words Courtney Messer had said to her mom, Misty Weikel, before they both enrolled at The Excel Center in August of 2013.

Returning to school can have a big impact on someone’s life. Julio Chavira found himself in the Juvenile Detention Center realizing he didn't want to continue down the road he was going. 

Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership^® (NFP) pairs mothers pregnant with their first child with a registered nurse for ongoing home visits aimed at supporting mothers and families in providing the very best start for their children during the earliest, most developmentally critical years. NFP is an international, community health program, widely researched and recognized for increasing health care access and improving health outcomes.

Goodwill’s NFP expanded its reach in southern Indiana in early 2017 and our first baby was born in November.

Nurse-Family Partnership^®'s humble beginning more than six years ago seems like a distant memory. But not for Unique Johnson, her son Ezra and their nurse, Marilynn Berry-Stamm.

Born in California, Leticia Ibarra finished middle school before her family relocated to Mexico.

When someone struggles with being in and out of the criminal justice system, it can be difficult to break the cycle. For many of these individuals, education becomes a solution to make that happen. Cortez Adkins, 23, enrolled at The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s high school for adults, in 2017 seeking a change in his life.

For adults, returning to high school can be a difficult task especially when life’s obstacles arise. However, with the right support, they can still thrive in a high school setting to reach their ultimate goal—graduation. Paige Mallory, 28, learned about The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s high school for adults, after she saw a flier. In fall 2016, she decided to enroll to better her life and her children’s lives.