LOUISVILLE, KY. – Today, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky joined Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Metro Louisville Councilmembers in spotlighting a $5 million appropriation in the city’s 2024 budget to support the development of the $50 million Opportunity Center the nonprofit organization is building in West Louisville.
Goodwill also announced a $1 million donation from the James Graham Brown Foundation that will contribute to the construction of the same 125,000 square-foot resource center under construction in West Louisville’s Parkland Neighborhood.
“The campus we’re building in West Louisville is the largest and most expensive mission-related investment we’ve made in our 100-year history in Kentucky,” said Amy Luttrell, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Kentucky. “Generous support from our city leaders and the Brown Foundation has provided us an unprecedented vote of confidence in our decision to launch a new era of hope for many of the people who call West Louisville home.”
Last week, Louisville Metro Council unanimously voted to approve an amended version of Mayor Greenberg’s 2024 proposed budget that ultimately resulted in a $5 million allocation from the Office of Housing and Community Development for the Norton Healthcare Goodwill Opportunity Campus.
Goodwill’s Opportunity Center is ultimately expected to produce an annual economic impact of $18.7 million in West Louisville, which is a majority African American community where the median household income is $21,000. The comprehensive resource center plans to serve approximately 50,000 individuals each year with a collection of social services and programs offered by Goodwill and many of its partners that will be co-located in the facility. Some of its partners include Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Volunteers of America, KentuckianaWorks, Park Community Credit Union, Legal Aid Society, Kentucky College of Barbering, the YMCA and the University of Louisville School of Dentistry.
“I’m proud that we are working together with Goodwill and partners across the city to bring this Opportunity Campus to life at 28th Street and Broadway,” said Mayor Greenberg. “Once it goes up, and the people see what’s possible, this will create more opportunity for the people of West Louisville.”
Last year, Goodwill launched a fundraising campaign to help cover the cost of building the $50 million facility. Since it began raising money from the corporate and philanthropic community, the nonprofit organization has secured donations from PNC Bank, the Gheens Foundation, the Jewish Heritage Fund, Truist Bank, First Financial Bank and Norton Healthcare.
One of the largest donations to support the construction of the West Louisville Opportunity Center recently came from a $1 million grant from the James Graham Brown Foundation, which is Kentucky’s largest private foundation committed to making transformative philanthropic investments that help advance the city of Louisville.
“The James Graham Brown Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life of Louisville’s and Kentucky’s citizens in several ways but primarily by supporting organizations with a similar mission,” said Mason Rummel, president and CEO of the James Graham Brown Foundation. “Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is one such organization that has demonstrated a long history of compassionate support and care of our citizens. We are honored to be a part of this effort and grateful for all that Goodwill does for our communities.”
Construction of the Goodwill West Louisville Opportunity Center is currently underway with an expected opening planned for early 2024. On the same 20-acre property, Norton Healthcare has started construction of its 90,000 square-foot hospital, which will be the first full-service medical facility in West Louisville in more than 150 years when it opens in 2024. Together, the two organizations are making a combined investment of more than $100 million to establish the Norton Healthcare Goodwill Opportunity Campus that will serve West Louisville residents in new and unprecedented ways.
“For many years, our Goodwill team has committed to do the work that helps Kentuckians pursue pathways out of poverty,” said Luttrell. “However, as we intensify our work to break the cruel cycle of poverty, it becomes more important for us to rely on partners like Mayor Greenberg, Metro Council and the Brown Foundation to help deliver sustainable solutions that allow people to live self-sufficient lifestyles. The investments they recently made to support our work in West Louisville is a clear sign that they are as committed as we are to give people a greater sense of hope and we couldn’t be more thankful.”
About Goodwill Industries of Kentucky
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is a 100-year-old nonprofit organization that operates in 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. The organization is committed to using resources from its 67 retail stores to help build pathways out of poverty for individuals who need a hand up in life. In 2022, Goodwill helped place 2,368 Kentuckians into jobs with 877 of its employer partners and inside its own retail stores. Goodwill uses approximately 90 cents from every dollar generated in its retail stores to operate programs and services that help Kentucky’s hardest-to-serve job seekers build the life they desire.