There are 460,000 working-age Hoosiers who lack a high school diploma. Prior to The Excel Center, Goodwill’s free high school for adults, there were few options for people like Jacob Barrett who wanted to earn one. 

When Jesse Hendrickson first walked into Goodwill for his court-ordered community service in 2016, he was homeless and recovering from a decade-long drug addiction that had isolated him from his family. 

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana announces the election of seven officers to lead its Boards of Directors, effective immediately. 

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana announces the appointment of seven new directors to join its Board of Directors, effective immediately. 

As a sophomore at St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Leonard Lofton was a successful student with plans to be a history teacher. 

Rachel Hendrickson knew the direction she wanted to take her life, but she needed help crafting a plan. After six years employed as a retail associate at Goodwill, she began working with a career and life coach at Goodwill — also known as a Guide. Together, they charted a path to accomplishing her goals of getting a driver’s license, owning a car and being promoted to Team Leader.

Life looked much different for Kimberly Lewis eight years ago.

As I walked through the sliding glass doors of the Goodwill Outlet-North, I was taken aback by all of the movement happening throughout the store Goodwill employees were working hard to rotate the large, blue bins out onto the floor — a process that happens every hour. Customers shopped around the employees, seamlessly moving from bin to bin, as any outlet veteran would. Some shoppers parked up against the outlet walls, protecting full carts as they waited on family members and friends who were still browsing.

Since she was young, Lindsey Lemen wanted to pursue her college education. Unable to attend college after graduating from high school, she put her dream on hold. Lindsey faced barriers after graduating that made it hard for her to maintain full-time employment. These barriers were removed after she started working at the Goodwill store in Shelbyville, Indiana.