Achieve-Spring 2024

president's message

The further I get from my youth, the more I reflect on and appreciate the individuals throughout my life who served as role models and mentors to me. I’m lucky to be surrounded by people who instilled the belief that I could do anything that I was willing to work hard for. That not only gave me the confidence to imagine big, but it also provided me with a foundation to build from and a path to grow and succeed.

By contrast, many of the individuals we employ, educate and serve at Goodwill lack the strong support system I had. They don’t have role models or mentors in their everyday lives to offer personal and professional guidance. They’re doing their best to navigate a web of job boards, applications and social services that are often complicated and bureaucratic, making it difficult to access the resources they need.

Fortunately, we can help bridge this gap. In 2014, Goodwill launched our Mission Coach program. These full-time career and life coaches work with Goodwill’s employees and students to help them set goals, outline the steps necessary to achieve them, and provide ongoing support and accountability.

Mission Coaches first provide stabilization services to ensure an individual’s basic needs are met, helping them secure housing, food, child care, health care and more. Then they move on to professional development, helping individuals pursue additional education and job credentials, while providing financial literacy training and credit counseling. Mission Coaches connect our employees and students to a range of services available both inside and outside of Goodwill.

Mission Coaches are largely funded through generous donors who are committed to changing lives in our community. Read more about the GW Society, our new deferred giving society, in this issue of Achieve, and join today to see your impact through stories like Johnny Manson, detailed on page 5. Johnny went from a part-time retail associate to director of Goodwill’s newest Excel Center in southeast Indianapolis in a span of six years and will earn his doctorate later this year.

But stories like Johnny’s wouldn’t be possible without the people like you who donate to Goodwill, so THANK YOU. Your support is changing lives!

Gratefully,

Kent A. Kramer

President and CEO | Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana President | Goodwill Foundation of Central & Southern Indiana

Stories of

SU CCESS

Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana supports over 10,000 people every day. Here are just a few of their stories.

MEET:

JohnnyMatthewMichaelae

to director From Donation Attendant

When Johnny Manson joined Goodwill in October 2016 as a part-time donation attendant, he had been struggling to secure employment due to past legal issues and a lifelong history of depression.

“Having a job I enjoy that provides me with the mental health services I need has played a critical role in overcoming these challenges,” Johnny said.

He was immediately recognized for his strong work ethic and promoted to Site Leader at one of Goodwill’s retail outlets. His income tripled over that period. Johnny also took advantage of the services of a Goodwill Mission Coach full-time career and life coaches who work with Goodwill’s employees and

students to help them set goals and provide ongoing support and accountability.

Johnny worked with his Mission Coach to apply for Goodwill’s tuition reimbursement program, which helped him complete his bachelor’s degree in business administration. He went on to earn a master’s degree in organizational leadership and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration, which he is on track to finish in December 2024.

Johnny’s Mission Coach also advised him on how to improve his credit score, which increased by more than 130 points, along with his net worth, allowing him to meet his goal of purchasing a car and a home.

After experiencing the support that Goodwill’s coaching model provides firsthand, Johnny decided to transition from retail into a mission-based role. He found a welcome home and a satisfying new career in education, which led to him being promoted to Director of The Excel Center in southeast Indianapolis in 2023. The school supports adult students with many of the same barriers Johnny once experienced, placing him in a unique position to relate, motivate, and provide them with hope.

“ Goodwill has had a profound impact in changing my life,” Johnny said. “ I am loyal to Goodwill because Goodwill is loyal to me.”

GOODWILL NURSE SUPPORTS

Mental and Physical Health

“When I was first diagnosed with unspecified psychosis, I didn’t want to believe it,” Michaelae Cotton said. “Many times…those with this diagnosis are described as ‘crazy.’ I was embarrassed and felt ashamed. It wasn’t until I found safe spaces that I began to embark on a journey of victory. My nurse came into my life at the perfect time.”

When Michaelae enrolled in Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership® in 2021, she was 25 weeks pregnant, forcing her to leave her job and school and move back in with her parents. These added stressors exacerbated her mental health struggles at one point requiring inpatient care.

“I found safety within the presence of my nurse she aided me in coming back to reality,” Michaelae said.

Despite the challenges she faced, Michaelae re-enrolled in school and completed her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

“Not only did my nurse assist me in staying motivated, but she also connected me with resources to help me elevate to a level I never knew I could reach,” Michaelae said.

Now, Michaelae lives independently with her daughter, Ya’Leah, and has a job she loves with Indy Peace Fellowship. She was also recently accepted into Martin University’s graduate program in community psychology, where she will pursue a Master of Science degree.

“ Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership set me up to succeed. With every appointment, I left feeling more equipped and ready to take on the journey of motherhood. It truly changed my life.”

YOUR LEGACY

Throughout our nearly 100-year history, Goodwill and the people we serve have had the privilege of being listed as the beneficiaries of life insurance policies, bequests, trusts and other deferred gifts. In celebration of this legacy of giving, as well as future gifts yet to come, we introduce the GW Society.

While we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former board member Keith Harding, our gratitude for his deferred gift and the good it's already doing in our community cannot be overstated. We are proud to honor his life and contributions, and I hope that by sharing his story and including him in the GW Society, his legacy will be remembered for many years to come.

Rachel Cline Eble Senior Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana Goodwill Foundation of Central & Southern Indiana

introducing the GW Society

THE GW SOCIETY AND LEGACY CLUB LEVEL GIVING

The GW Society will be the third Legacy Club Giving Society — joining with the Dustman Society and the 1635 Society. Together, these giving societies represent our most generous supporters whose combined giving creates lasting impact.

GW SOCIETY: Recognizes donors that have provided a bequest or other deferred gift for Goodwill Foundation.

DUSTMAN SOCIETY:

Jack and Betsy Dustman both served as board members and were incredible ambassadors of the Goodwill mission. In their honor, this society recognizes those who help ensure Goodwill’s future with cumulative giving of $50,000+.

1635 SOCIETY: 1635 Society donors support current programs and services designed to help improve people’s lives through health, education and employment with gifts of $1,000+ to the current year’s Annual Fund.

Legacy Giving Keith's Story

As a high school senior, Ryan Keith Harding (Keith) had it all figured out: he would attend college on a scholarship then do a stint in the Marine Corps before settling into a career with the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

“Uncle Keith was athletic and tall,” said one of his nieces. “He was a presence. When he walked into a room, people noticed.”

But then, the unthinkable happened: Keith was involved in a life-threatening car accident that left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. At first, he struggled to adjust, but he didn’t feel sorry for himself for long. He soon completed a competitive Goodwill/IBM computer training program for people with disabilities in North Carolina. From there, Keith went on to serve IBM’s Global Services Division, traveling all over the country implementing point-of-sale systems.

Keith eventually settled in Indianapolis, and in 2001, he cofounded Ryan Consulting Group, Inc. (RYAN). The Indianapolis company doubled in size over the next five years, and in 2007, he was honored as the Small Business Administration’s Region 5 Small Business Person of the Year.

“He may have been confined to a wheelchair, but Keith achieved more sitting down than most people do standing up,” his niece said. “He did not recognize any limits for himself, and that’s the message he instilled in others.”

Following his success, Keith was eager to get involved with the organization that had supported him after his accident. He joined the Goodwill Foundation of Central & Southern Indiana’s board of directors and mentored individuals at Goodwill’s Commercial Services

facility who were previously involved with the criminal justice system. He also served as a mentor to youth at Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility through the Last Mile Program, which helps participants gain job ready skills in computer coding.

Keith’s support for Goodwill included a thoughtful bequest that will empower people far beyond what he might have originally imagined. With this gift, Keith has ensured his legacy of support for some of the most vulnerable members of his community will go on in perpetuity. The Goodwill Foundation is honored to share his story and to count him as a member of the GW Society.

If you are interested in joining Keith as a member of the GW Society, or have already included Goodwill in your will, please let us know so we can add you to our list of supporters. Interested in joining one of our other Legacy Club Societies? Please contact Cindy Tow at cindy.tow@goodwillindy.org.

UNBOXED

Thursday, September 19, 2024

SPONSORSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE NOW!

Join fellow business and community leaders from across central and southern Indiana for an evening of great food and entertainment that celebrates a compelling mission.

100% of proceeds from Goodwill: UNBOXED support life-changing programs at Goodwill.

2024 Sponsors (so far)

don’ t miss ou t !

GOOD CAUSE. GOOD TIME. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Learn more and reserve your sponsorship package before they sell out.

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