Have you ever seen a Goodwill of Central Iowa store or logo and thought about what the “Central Iowa” part of our mission and name entails? Upon first glance, it may not be clear considering there are multiple Goodwill organizations in each state, including our very own state of Iowa. Each Goodwill organization strives to serve their local communities in many ways that may not be apparent, and here at Goodwill of Central Iowa, we have many initiatives that focus on serving our local communities. Because our neighbors, our shoppers, our donors, our participants, and our employees are truly what makes up the heart of our mission, which is Making Purposeful Employment Possible for All! Here at Goodwill of Central Iowa, purposeful expansion is crucial to our mission. We’re constantly asking ourselves how we can be more involved, how we can serve our Central Iowans in more beneficial ways, how we can be in the community truly bringing our mission to life by inciting change through services and programs.
Career Connection Center
Being involved in our local Central Iowa community means many different things for Goodwill of Central Iowa, but at the core of it all is our mission of Making Purposeful Employment Possible For All, which is why we’re very excited to have brought back our Career Connection Center this year! In a partnership with Des Moines Public Library’s Central location, the Career Connection Center is a free program delivers personalized support and practical tools to help you build skills and pursue new career opportunities with confidence. Whether you need help for resumes, job applications, or basic computer skills, the Career Connection Center is a free resource that we encourage everyone to use!
DMARC Food Pantry and Goodwill of Central Iowa
This summer, Goodwill of Central Iowa launched this special initiative to help fight summer hunger for Central Iowa families in need, in partnership with The Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry. Nine metro Goodwill of Central Iowa stores now serve as food donation collection sites that our shoppers and donors alike can drop food donations at during any time. All the food collected will go to support the nearly 80k people in the DSM metro that are utilizing one of DMARC’s pantries for some extra help with groceries. “A small donation can make a big difference,” Said DMARC CEO, Kathy Underhill. “Entering the summer months, working families are facing an uphill battle as the cost of everything is going up again. As the last school bell rings, it’s up to community supports like our food pantries to help meet the need.”
Our mission here at Goodwill of Central Iowa may seem to be heavily retail focused at times, but our community’s needs in all its forms are an integral part of our mission. Whether it’s food, clothing, or career services, we’re constantly striving to help Central Iowans in their journeys in life and meet them where they’re at with love, kindness, and respect.
Costumes for Kids in Partnership with LAZER 103.3
2026 will bring a continuation of our very successful and fulfilling Costumes for Kids collaboration with LAZER 103.3 radio. Costumes for Kids has brought Halloween joy to hundreds of children across Iowa, raising over $4000+ annually and filling countless bagged smiles through round‑up weekends and heartfelt generosity! Our commitment to community service here at Goodwill of Central Iowa takes many shapes and forms and is for people from all walks of life, and that includes any and all demographics!
At Goodwill of Central Iowa, helping and offering services to our Central Iowa community is at the forefront of our organization’s values. We’re constantly striving to be more involved, to provide more services, to continue to make our mission of Making Purposeful Employment Possible for All a reality for anyone in need.
To stay up to date with all of our initiatives and see how you can be involved, follow our Facebook and Instagram pages @DMGoodwill.
