Goodwill held its 15th annual Little Black Dress Fundraiser on Thursday, April 24 at Four Winds Event Center South Bend. Featuring a pop-up boutique, dinner, and fashion show, the event raised funds to support Goodwill’s critical education, career training, and employment programs.
About 500 guests attended the sold-out event, which kicked off with an opportunity to peruse and shop thousands of the best fashion items collected from Goodwill locations across Northern Indiana. Later in the evening, guests gathered in the Four Winds’ Ribbon Town Ballroom for dinner and a fashion show.
The evening’s models were local community and business leaders, all on hand to support a cause they believe in. Each model had the opportunity to showcase three outfits on the runway, all designed by Goodwill Fashion Stylist Kerie Graham using items curated from the region’s Goodwill locations.
“It’s incredible to have so many people in one room who are ready to hear about the impact that we get to have on our community,” Debie Coble, president and CEO of Goodwill, said. “Little Black Dress showcases the partnership that we have in our community when folks come out to support us by shopping and donating. Their support is going to allow us to do so much more.”
The lineup of clothes, accessories, and fine jewelry on display prompted many shopping sprees by eager Goodwill supporters. Everything from formal wear to the comfiest sportswear packed visitors’ bags. The Goodwill team spends the entire year curating the event’s selection, and Chief Operating Officer Doug Dillman was pleased to see the crowd so enthused.
“Goodwill is more than a store, and what we do at our stores powers our programs,” he said. “Tonight summarizes what Goodwill is all about. I’m thrilled to see all of this come together, and I’m excited to mingle with some of our everyday customers and people from the community who support our mission.”
Between rounds of the fashion show, Goodwill took the opportunity to highlight some of the different programs Little Black Dress supports. One program is the Goodwill Excel Center, where adults of all ages have the opportunity to receive a Core 40 education and earn a high school diploma, as well as various career certifications.
During one of the intermissions, Goodwill shared the story of a woman who, due to kidney failure, never completed high school. Through the Goodwill Excel Center, she earned her diploma and is now attending college for a degree in elementary education and setting an example for her family that she is proud of. Coble explained that she sees stories like that every day, with Goodwill’s programming giving people an opportunity to defy their circumstances.
“This week I attended Elkhart’s State of the City Address and I had a lady come up to me and hug me,” Coble said. “She was one of the first graduates of our Goodwill Excel Center in 2017, and she now owns her own business and is becoming a community leader. We got to be a part of her journey. When you think of all of those individual stories, all of those lives that we’ve touched – 1,200 students last year alone, 500 first time moms. The impact is generational, and the benefit is multiplied out so much more.”
Goodwill hoped that this year’s Little Black Dress would raise 15% more than last year’s. Coble noted that it was on track to well exceed that goal, with tickets to the event selling out more than a month in advance.
“It’s so cool to see the level of joy and excitement that surrounds Goodwill,” Sara Brodzinski, chief people officer at Goodwill, said. “It’s a celebration of all the hard work that’s being done each and every day. There are a lot of moments where this work is challenging, and you’re hoping that you’re helping people move forward. Hearing stories like the ones we did tonight shows that we are, it’s a showcase of what we’re doing.”
To learn more about Goodwill and its programs or to find out how you can support its work, visit goodwill-ni.org.
