The community of Plymouth was up bright and early to celebrate the grand opening of Goodwill Industries of Michiana Inc.’s newest location. A retail store as well as a center for career connections, this new Goodwill location was long desired, as was obvious by the long line to enter.
“We’ve asked over and over for suggestions, and what we consistently saw on those comment cards was a strong desire for a Plymouth location,” said President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc., Debie Coble.
Sue Peterson of Peterson Media explains the exhilaration in the air exhibited from all those involved.
“Seeing the store go from an empty space and seeing everyone work so hard, building shelving and putting out merchandise, it’s just incredible,” Peterson said.
“There is so much excitement for the opening of this store; it’s like a party,” said Vice President of Community Engagement for Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc., Guy Fisher.
Many people helped make this dream come true and had their hands in building this new location from the ground up. From subcontractors to production managers and district management to store custodial teams, the team at Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc. was fully represented at this exciting event.
What makes this Goodwill a unique location is that customers can witness firsthand what 87 cents of each dollar they spend does for the people in the community. Windows to the Larry Neff Center for Career Connections allow shoppers to see the good work happening behind the door.
Adam Richard, the director of the Center for Career Connections, explained that upon entering and signing in, job-seekers get help to identify what obstacles they face in finding successful employment.
“We follow the ABCs. A is for ‘A Job Now’ because we recognize people have bills, and sometimes it’s just ‘I need a paycheck.’ But we don’t want to just leave you there, because that may not necessarily be the best fit. It’s just the quickest way to get a paycheck. So then we go to ‘B’ which is ‘A Better Job.’ And that could be a variety of things. It could be higher pay, it could be a job that better works with your schedule, or a job that is more aligned with what you want to be doing in the long run. So then the final area, ‘C,’ is the ‘Career.’ What's that long-term, five-plus years job that you want to see yourself doing, and what can we do to help you get there with educational resources or some long-term training path?”
Services range from resume building; employment leads and scholarship opportunities to essential computer skills and even social media literacy. The Center for Career Connections even hosts hiring events and free workshops.
Coble ended her ribbon-cutting speech with an inspirational story about a woman named Kami, who left school and struggled to find meaningful employment.
“This is someone who has had her life changed because of Goodwill,” Coble said.
After hearing about the Excel Center from her old school, Kami decided to give it a try.
“She met with her life coach. She worked on not only the classes that she needed to graduate, but she also focused on her life goals. She decided to think outside of the box and pursue welding. We assisted her in getting her certification, and she is now a female welder who is earning a good wage and caring for her family in a way that she has never been able to,” Coble said.
There is a photo hanging on the wall at the Plymouth Goodwill that captures Kami in her new career. This image hangs among other real people who have had their lives changed from the services Goodwill offers.
To learn more about Goodwill Industries of Michiana Inc., please visit https://goodwill-ni.org/.