Community Services
Goodwill Industries
Nurse-Family Partnership
Who We Serve:
First-time parents and those who support them.
Where We Serve:
Lake, LaPorte, Elkhart, and St. Joseph Counties
How We Serve:
Specially educated nurses regularly visit first-time parents starting early in pregnancy and continuing until the child's second birthday.
People enrolled in Nurse-Family Partnership benefit by getting the care and support they need in order to have a healthy pregnancy. At the same time, families develop a close relationship with the nurse who becomes a trusted resource they can rely on for advice on everything from safely caring for their child to taking steps to provide a stable, secure future for their new family.
For questions about Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership, contact [email protected]. To sign up for yourself or refer someone to our program, please complete our referral form.
Goodwill Industries
S.A.V.E.
Who We Serve:
Individuals at risk of violent activity as well as local students
Where We Serve:
South Bend
How We Serve:
Intervening in violent situations and running prevention and education programs
Stand Against Violence Everyday (S.A.V.E.) was designed as a proactive extension of our Group Violence Intervention Program (GVI). Our team of outreach workers promotes nonviolence by de-escalating group-based conflicts. They work on the streets to build relationships in the community and become trusted individuals who are there to prevent and respond to gun violence. S.A.V.E. also runs programs at local schools to foster a culture of nonviolent conflict resolution.
To refer yourself or someone you know to this program, please contact
[email protected]
Goodwill Industries
Veteran Services
Who We Serve:
Local veterans and their families
Where We Serve:
LaPorte, Elkhart, St. Joseph, and Kosciusko Counties
How We Serve:
Connecting veterans with free resources and running annual Stand Down events
In order to ease the burdens of poverty that some veterans face, we connect those who’ve served our country with free resources. This includes providing information about discounts, helping them enroll in VA health care, and assisting them in finding housing. Our annual Stand Down events provide free meals and take-homes, like safety kits and clothing.
To refer yourself or someone you know to this program, please contact
[email protected]
Career Services
Goodwill Industries
Career Connections
Who We Serve:
Job seekers who face barriers to employment
Where We Serve:
Lake, St. Joseph, Elkhart, and Kosciusko Counties
How We Serve:
Providing resources, guidance, skill training, and job placement
Throughout our six Career Centers, we get to know our clients based on their specific situations and provide them the resources and skill training they need to succeed in their job of choice. We also partner with local employers to help people make connections and find jobs. Click here to find a Center for Career Connections near you.
To refer yourself or someone you know to this program, please contact
[email protected]
Goodwill Industries
Industrial Services
Who We Serve:
Businesses in need of additional labor
Where We Serve:
Elkhart County and South Bend
How We Serve:
Assisting local businesses with off-site labor
Our trainees provide off-site support to local businesses in need of labor for projects like assembling, sorting, inspecting, wrapping, and fulfillment. This allows the businesses to save space, time, and money. We also sell wiping cloths in cotton and cotton-blend varieties and can deliver them directly to you.
To refer yourself or someone you know to this program, please contact
[email protected]
Goodwill Industries
Ability First
Who We Serve:
People with disabilities
Where We Serve:
Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Starke, St. Joseph, Elkhart, and Kosciusko Counties
How We Serve:
Assisting people with disabilities in finding and maintaining jobs
We understand that not every job is one-size-fits-all, and that everyone has unique needs that are best served by different solutions. Our employment specialists, case managers, and job coaches take a person-centered approach to vocational rehabilitation. Participants in the Ability First program have the opportunity to try different jobs hands-on in order to find the perfect fit.
To refer yourself or someone you know to this program, please contact
[email protected]
Goodwill Industries
Senior Employment Services
Who We Serve:
Senior citizens looking for employment
Where We Serve:
Carroll, Cass, Fulton, LaPorte, Miami, Montgomery, Pulaski, Porter, Starke, Tippecanoe, and White Counties
How We Serve:
Running a community service and work-based job training program
The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a national employment and training program funded in part by the U.S. Department of Labor. It enables low-income seniors to earn wages and learn job skills through work at local nonprofit and public facilities like schools, hospitals, and daycare centers. The training they receive helps prepare them for unsubsidized employment opportunities.
Goodwill® proudly participates in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), a national employment and training program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. A $22,836,313 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor provided 90 percent of the funding for Goodwill’s SCSEP programs in the program year 2024. Goodwill’s provided the remaining 10 percent through in-kind contributions worth more than $2,537,378.
See http://www.goodwill.org/scsep/ for funding details. Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc. received a sub award of $264,864 and is contributing in-kind contributions valued at $30,798 to cover the remaining 10 percent of operational costs.
To refer yourself or someone you know to this program, please contact
[email protected]
Goodwill Industries
Youth Services
Who We Serve:
Out-of-school youth seeking education and career opportunities
Where We Serve:
Lake, LaPorte, and Porter Counties
How We Serve:
Providing guidance, training, and resources to young adults
Goodwill helps young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 under the federal government’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). We offer continued support for those looking to complete their education. For young adults who are ready to join the workforce, our program offers career exploration and guidance, as well as opportunities for skills training in in-demand industries and occupations.
To refer yourself or someone you know to this program, please contact
[email protected]
Goodwill Industries
2nd Chance
Who We Serve:
Individuals who have been incarcerated or have a criminal background
Where We Serve:
LaPorte, Elkhart, and St. Joseph Counties
How We Serve:
Helping people who have been impacted by the justice system start a fulfilling, sustainable career
Individuals who have a criminal background may have concerns about joining the workforce, but we are ready to help them find a meaningful career. The 2nd Chance program begins with a two-week class that covers soft skills and job readiness, application and resume writing, interviewing advice, and more. Then our employment specialists work with each person to find a job that’s right for them. Our retention specialists will check in and offer ongoing support to help everyone meet employment milestones.
To refer yourself or someone you know to this program, please contact
[email protected]
Goodwill Industries
Bridges
Who We Serve:
Individuals, companies, or other community organizations to provide education on daily instability in our community, workforce, and personal lives.
Where We Serve:
LaPorte, Elkhart, and St. Joseph Counties
How We Serve:
Running workshops and training on how daily instability impacts the community, workforce, and individuals.
Our educational program Bridges addresses daily instability through workshops and simulations.
Through Workplace Stability we help employers bridge the communication gap with their employees and foster workplace stability. In this training you will learn about the 11 essential resources, how they impact instability and your employees, gain insight into the different communication styles, the best way to communicate with someone experiencing daily instability, learn how instability impacts employee performance, and the best tactics to improve Workplace Stability.
Bridges Out of Poverty champions alliances of support and helps individuals and communities that are ready to break free of daily instability. Rather than create reliance, Bridges communities create new understanding, skills, resources, and motivation.
Getting Ahead takes investigators on a journey to learn what’s keeping you from Getting Ahead and how to transition to self sufficiency. Investigators will examine their life and identify available resources, create a plan for a better future while increasing your social resources in order to receive a renewed sense of hope.
A Day In The Life Simulation takes participants through a real life simulation of trying to navigate connecting to resources while balancing the other aspects of life.
For more information on our workshops, please contact
[email protected]
Goodwill Industries
WeConnect
Who We Serve:
WeConnect partners with employers to assist their employees in connecting to resources as an advocate.
Where We Serve:
LaPorte, Elkhart, and St. Joseph Counties
How We Serve:
WeConnect works to increase retention for employers by assisting HR departments in the areas where they are unable to provide employees assistance with the resources they need to continue employment.
For those who are living in daily instability, knowing that their employer truly understands their situation is a key element in building trust.
Through our Success Coach model WeConnect works with employees to get connected to resourcing. Through WeConnect, Goodwill helps coordinate resources such as childcare, housing, continuing education, and job skills training.
To receive more information about WeConnect and how we can partner please contact
[email protected]
Education Services
Goodwill Industries
The Excel Center
Who We Serve:
Adults looking to earn an Indiana high school diploma
Where We Serve:
Elkhart, Lake and St. Joseph Counties
How We Serve:
Offering tuition-free high school and college credits
Through our four centers, adults of all ages have the opportunity to receive a Core 40 education and earn a high school diploma, college credits, and a variety of industry-recognized certifications. In order to help our students overcome barriers they may face, our Excel Centers® offer flexible class schedules, extended hours, year-round operation, supportive relationships with staff and life coaches, transportation assistance, and a high-quality, free childcare program called Kids Excel.
Student Safety Reporting
Charter Tools- Document Retention
Board Members:
Rolla Baumgartner,
Chair
Mary Pat Latowski,
Vice Chair
Bishop Eddie Miller,
Member
Juliann Jankowski,
Member
Dana Trowbridge,
Member
Anthony Allison,
Treasurer
Debie Coble,
Member
Luis Gonzalez,
Member
Ann Carol Nash,
Member
Marguerite Taylor,
Member
Pastor Kelly Williams,
Member
To refer yourself or someone you know to this program, please complete our enrollment form.
Goodwill Industries
The Academy
Who We Serve:
Individuals seeking employment in the manufacturing industry
Where We Serve:
LaPorte, Elkhart, and St. Joseph Counties
How We Serve:
Teaching technical skills for a variety of manufacturing-related jobs
Businesses are currently facing a shortage of skilled manufacturers. Through The Academy, we help bridge the gap between the talent pool looking to earn a living wage and businesses seeking qualified individuals. Our technology training courses teach skills in weights and measurements, material handling, forklift operations, pneumatic tool usage, CNC basics, and welding.
To refer yourself or someone you know to this program, please contact
[email protected]
