June is Pride Month, a time dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ identities. Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana is proud to join the celebration and highlight LGBTQ+ people in our network, helping us work toward our mission of changing lives through education, health and employment.
Kris Bussey was only 10 years old when she was first introduced to painkillers on the school bus.
Dakota McLaughlin experienced significant challenges growing up. His mother passed away when he was young, and he was also bullied at school, especially when he came out as gay, which often left him feeling alone. After experiencing domestic violence from a family member, Dakota felt safer leaving home, even though he had nowhere else to go.
Bea Sweet joined the Goodwill retail crew at our Columbus location in November 2021. Although she has the support of a few friends and her co-workers at Goodwill, Bea has experienced the judgment and stigma associated with coming out as a transgender person. She began living as a woman almost seven years ago, when she was 41 years old.