About Us

History

Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc., has been a part of the South Bend community since 1936, based on the original Goodwill founded in 1902 by Rev. Edgar J. Helms.

Today Goodwill Industries of Michiana serves nearly 3000 individuals and employs over 700 individuals through Northern Indiana, Southwest Michigan, and Southeast Chicagoland, empowering people and strengthening communities through the power of work.

Mission

The mission of Goodwill Industries of Michiana is to strengthen communities by empowering individuals and families through education, training, and job placement.

To learn how Goodwill goes about accomplishing this mission, be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter, Vision.

Vision

To be the leading provider of workforce development services in the communities we serve.

Impacting the community means providing a top-level workforce to local businesses as well. Click here for more information about how your business or organization can partner with Goodwill.

Values

Work – We believe in the power of work

Ethics – We always act with integrity

Respect – We treat people with value and dignity

Development – We foster a culture of life-long learning

Leadership

Goodwill is a nonprofit organization headed by a Board of community leaders and run by a seasoned Senior Staff. We are open to new opportunities and welcome your feedback and suggestions. Use our Contact Us page to tell us what we’re doing right or what we can improve on.

Annual Reports

Ask any coach what makes a player “stand out” on the field and you will often hear the term “vision”. It’s that innate ability to see not only what’s transpiring at that moment, but also what’s going to happen next. For Goodwill Industries of Michiana, 2018 was a “year of vision” as we set in motion the programs, facilities and resources that we believe will create long lasting impact for the years ahead.

It was a year where we celebrated the first class of graduates from our second Excel Center in Hammond, Indiana. In September we began classes at our third Excel Center in Gary, IN, and combined with our South Bend campus we have now empowered over 1,000 adults and almost 200 children in the Kid’s Excel program.

Through our TechSTEP initiative, we are providing hard skills training that will lead to good paying jobs today and tomorrow. Through the generosity of community partners, we were able to acquire a Virtual Reality Welding Trainer, CNC equipment and a laser which provide “real world” instructional opportunities for our students.

We also partnered with Google and are now a certified Grow With Google Digital Skills center which provides computer training and certifications needed for living wage jobs in our communities.

Our work redeems the lives of young adults who have been drawn into the world of street gangs. Through the Group Violence Intervention program as well as the Gary for Life initiative, we mentor those individuals and families who truly want to change their lives. We help them see “what can be”.

Serving people with physical and cognitive challenges has always been at the core of our work. Our 2018 Employer of the Year, South Bend Woodworks, is a wonderful example of the caliber of businesses with which we partner to allow all individuals the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential. By working one on one with our clients, we look beyond their challenges and see the glimmers of possibilities that exist. It takes businesses that are committed to providing job opportunities which allow our friends and neighbors a “maximum of abundant living”, a vision of
our founder, Dr. Edgar Helms.

Serving Veterans and their families is a privilege. As the lead agency for the Vets’ Community Connections initiative, Goodwill is the central point of connection for local resources that veterans and their families deserve. South Bend, Indiana is one of only three communities in the United States to
be selected for this honor.
We are humbled to be asked to lead the charge.

In July of 2018, we broke ground on our newest campus in the City of Gary. This investment will host a store, community career center and our Gary Excel Center The 100,000 sf. facility will provide over 70 jobs and will impact countless families for generations to come.

Our vision is to be the leading provider
of workforce development services in
our communities, and to enable all
individuals with disabilities and
disadvantages the opportunity to
enjoy the full benefits of competitive
employment. This is just a glimmer of
what’s to come as we continue the
mission of empowering individuals and
families through education, training
and job placement.
We Believe… In the Power of Work.

Debie Coble
CEO and President