The City of Elkhart has been working to renovate the former Pierre Moran Mall since its final closing in 2017. Goodwill and Heart City Health partnered to transform the vacant, 109,000-square-foot complex within the Woodland Crossing Shopping Center (formerly the Sears building) into a multifaceted resource center to benefit the community. On the evening of April 10, hard hats were worn with pride, and shovels were smacked hard against the rubble. For Goodwill, this act signified the launching of the Neighborhood Opportunity Hub with expansion of services offered to the Elkhart community.
“We’re building tomorrow’s Elkhart starting today,” said Elkhart Mayor Rod Roberson.
The City of Elkhart’s vision for its future is to create greater accessibility for better opportunities. Goodwill is taking steps to expand essential services, such as job training, education, and support to first time parents, and to consolidate them into one central location. Elkhart residents and prospective reporters were presented with the intended renovations—both on printed diagrams and with spirited speeches.
“For Goodwill to be invited to be a partner in this vision for the future is helping us take our programming and opportunities to the next level,” said Goodwill's President and CEO Debie Coble. “With Goodwill, we are more than our stores. We’re really excited about being transformational for people’s lives. We believe in empowering people to achieve their most abundant life.”
Part of the Neighborhood Opportunity Hub’s initiative is to integrate The Goodwill Excel Center, which is a tuition-free adult charter high school aimed at helping adult learners receive their Core 40 high school diploma. The Excel Center will offer adult students access to childcare, flexible scheduling, and transportation assistance via local bus routes. The opening of the Elkhart Excel Center brought the number of adult high schools in northern Indiana to four.
“We’re also going to have it house our Career and Technical Education Center with The Academy,” Excel Center Superintendent Dr. Chris Alber said. “It’s open and available to anybody in the community who wants to earn their certifications. We’ll be able to offer automotive, construction, and other programs that will resonate with students and residents of Elkhart. We’re extending and continuing our imprint here in Elkhart to service those for Goodwill.”
The Elkhart campus will provide vocational opportunities, especially for those formerly incarcerated, who have struggled long-term with job hunting, or due to a disability need assistance in finding the right job match. Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) also will be made available to pair pregnant mothers with a registered nurse to promote a healthy start for their future child. The program intends to provide care, nutrition, and any additional support young mothers need for the first two years of their child’s life.
Heart City Health, a nonprofit health center located in Elkhart, is currently planning its groundbreaking for half of the Neighborhood Opportunity Hub in the coming months.
“We have quite a few things that we’re planning,” said Esleen Fultz, Chief Executive Officer of Heart City Health. “We are bringing in more diagnostic services. We also plan to include training programs for physicians and nurse practitioners and plan to provide them housing and a place to stay when they’re going through the training programs.”
Fultz also discussed having a nutrition kitchen that provides classes for teaching patients how to cook and eat properly, especially for those diagnosed with diabetes and other health conditions. Heart City Health intends to transform its space into a comprehensive facility for urgent care, dental health, behavioral health, and other health care services.
“I believe this partnership is important because it touches every area of people’s lives,” said Fultz. “You have housing, healthcare, and job security. Combining all these things really helps to elevate a person’s life and these opportunities come full circle to ensure people maintain their health, employment, and housing.”
Other Heart City Health staff members also attended the groundbreaking to show their support for the collaboration between the two nonprofits.
“We came to support Goodwill’s start on the project,” said Randy Nelson, who serves as Heart City Health’s facilities manager. “When we get our turn, we plan to have a little bit of everything in the healthcare world available for Elkhart.”
Wrapping up the excitement for the Neighborhood Opportunity Hub, Mayor Rod Roberson shared his optimism for the project as it continues to build up its partnerships. He extended his gratitude to all partners currently involved in the project and their work to provide comprehensive care for families in the area.
“The rebirth of this neighborhood is a wonderful opportunity,” said Roberson. “Reusing a building that had been a certain way for decades and making it a service to people in the area is a rebirth of sorts. This neighborhood is a strong neighborhood as it relates to property values and the things we’re doing to keep it strong. But for us to be able to continue to help families who face challenges, we must find better, more acceptable, and more valuable employment opportunities to help their lives—whether it’s bringing health care or nutrition to the same space. It means a lot.”
Follow Goodwill’s progress with the Neighborhood Opportunity Hub on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoodwillNI. Interest in Goodwill programs or supporting the expansion in Elkhart, call 574-472-7300.
