The only thing better than shopping is getting to shop while also supporting a great cause. On Wednesday, October 18, Goodwill Industries of Michiana held its annual Little Black Dress Signature Event in Merrillville. People from throughout the Region gathered at Avalon Manor for an intimate evening of shopping, bonding, and raising awareness for Goodwill and everything it does for the community.
“We know how much our community appreciates our stores, so we’ve brought the best of our 24 stores to Avalon for folks to shop and support Goodwill, hear more about our mission, and just have an awesome time tonight,” said Debie Coble, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Michiana.
Over 200 people came out to the event to show their support – a record for Goodwill’s Merrillville Little Black Dress event. People lined up at the doors long before the event began, eager to get inside. The Goodwill team was excited to have such a great turnout.
“We have been pushing so hard for people to understand that Goodwill is more than a store. The mission and services that we provide are very vital, so for people to come out and want to support Goodwill and learn more about its impact on the community is incredible,” said Coble.
The event started out like every other Little Black Dress event with a fabulous boutique packed full of Goodwill’s highest-quality items. Attendees got their hands on everything from cute ankle boots to luscious fur coats. It was a great way to show people that Goodwill is more than just a thrift store – it’s a business that strives to sell amazing products in order to support its many impactful programs.
“People don’t really understand Little Black Dress until they come and see it for themselves. Many people think that Goodwill couldn’t possibly hold a fashion show, but the truth is that the greatest designer fashions do get donated to Goodwill. If you’re a picker and an aisle hunter, there’s a great chance that you’ll find a Chanel suit in one of our stores,” said Kelly Nissan, CMO.
After everyone got their shopping fix, it was time to move on to the educational portion of the evening – raising awareness for Goodwill’s programs. Last year, Goodwill served over 13,000 people through its programs. Each year during Little Black Dress, Goodwill highlights one of these programs.
This year’s focus was on Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership program. The program connects first-time moms with a nurse. The mother and nurse work together starting before the mom is 28 weeks pregnant until the baby is 2 years old. The nurse helps with everything from the mom’s mental health to making sure the baby hits all their milestones. Goodwill has been running this program for five years and, because it has been so impactful, has been asked to expand it throughout 15 different counties in Indiana.
“There’s a magic window when someone’s pregnant where they begin to think about how they were parented and how they want to parent. As a mom processes that throughout their pregnancy, if they have someone alongside them every step of the way, like a trusted nurse, it can really help a person make changes for themselves,” said Andrea Voisard, director of Nurse-Family Partnership Operations.
The Goodwill team encouraged everyone to reach out to their friends and family and spread the word that Goodwill is looking for nurses to be a part of this powerful program.
“Please, send us your nurses. We like to hire nurses from their own communities because they are already engaged in their community’s churches, schools, and businesses. They can connect with the needs of their community better than anyone else,” said Voisard.
Of course, the night wouldn’t have been complete without an exciting fashion show. Business owners and leaders from all over Northwest Indiana came out to model some of Goodwill’s finest pieces of clothing. Each model strutted down the runway with massive smiles on their face, happy to help Goodwill show off just how incredible and uplifting its goods can be.
“The Goodwill Little Black Dress event is one of my favorites to be a part of. Being a model on the runway is so empowering and will boost anyone’s confidence. It’s a blast to model, shop, and hang out with all these great people,” said Jenny Craig-Brown, executive director of GreatNews.Life and one of the event’s models.
This fall’s Little Black Dress Signature Event ultimately couldn’t have been a bigger success. Not only did people walk away with massive bags packed full of clothes but the evening shed light on all the great things Goodwill does for its community. The Goodwill team hopes everyone carries what they learned from the evening with them from now on.
“I challenge everyone here tonight to do four things: go through your closet and give your old clothes to Goodwill, come shop at Goodwill, tell people about what you’ve learned about Goodwill’s mission, and please, donate however much you can,” said Nissan.
The Goodwill Industries of Michiana team is grateful for everyone who came out and supported the event. They can’t wait to keep holding more Little Black Dress events in the future and doing everything they can to raise awareness for all the opportunities people have to improve their lives.
“We appreciate the community for supporting us. It’s awesome. Donate, shop, and change a life,” said Coble.
To learn more about Goodwill Industries of Michiana, visit goodwill-ni.org.