Employment
Over 6,000 people are employed with Goodwill.
%
Over 60% have a barrier to employment such as limited education, a disability or a criminal record.
Darnell Bates
At the age of 12, Darnell tried drugs for the first time. By 17 years old, he was incarcerated for issues relating to substance abuse and would experience the revolving door of the criminal justice system for the next decade. But everything changed when he had his children. In 2020, Darnell sought employment as an assembler at Goodwill and joined the Goodwill New Beginnings reentry program. Not only did he successfully graduate from the program, but he was also promoted multiple times. He is currently the manufacturing supervisor and effectively tripled his income over the past five years.
“I’m on a mission to be the best man I can be and the best father I can be, and that mission’s hard. It takes dedication.”
Health
Over 10,000 families served since 2011.
Over 1,100 families served in 2025 alone.
Michaelae Cotton
When Michaelae enrolled in Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP), she was pregnant with her first child and experiencing intense symptoms relating to her mental health. Over the course of her time in the NFP program, Michaelae returned to college and finished her bachelor’s degree, achieved stable housing and transportation, and now works at the Marion County Department of Corrections as a case manager. She is also just months away from earning her master’s degree.
“The encouragement from my nurse during the Nurse-Family Partnership Program really kept me going. Every meeting I had with her, she was always motivating me and always lifting me up.”
Education
Over 10,000 students have graduated since 2010.
Saja Abbas
When Saja immigrated to the U.S. in 2009, she was a refugee fleeing the violence in Iraq. In 2013, she enrolled at The Excel Center because she wanted to learn English. Not only did she achieve her goal of becoming fluent in English, but she also earned her diploma and a pharmacy technician certification. Recently, Saja completed her Doctorate of Pharmacy and now works for Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical company.
“I would choose something challenging over something in my comfort zone because life is going to be hard and choosing something hard to match your dream will be worth it.