About Goodwin Girls
Goodwin Girls is a non-profit organization that provides temporary housing and support services for women aged 18-25 who have experienced trauma. Our environment is designed to provide structure, stability, and nurture to help these young women heal and reach their full potential.
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At its core, Goodwin Girls is just a home, but like no other home, those we serve have experienced. This home offers unconditional positive regard and empathetic understanding. Through love and grace, the women will receive psychoeducation about healing trauma while participating in education designed to allow them to understand their very normal reactions to very abnormal situations of their past and present. Nutritional education and cooking assistance, coupled with employment and/or education exploration and application, will be provided. Goodwin Girls supports and trains trauma-informed strategies to increase functional interpersonal relationships.
We believe that every woman has the potential to be a powerful force for positive change in the world. At Goodwin Girls, we help young women embrace their inner strength and develop the skills they need to create a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
The mission of Goodwin Girlfriends is to connect young women in Crawford County who are experiencing difficult situations with a stable mature friendship with a woman whose entire role is to connect with them; to see them and hear them, to pray for them and/or with them if they choose that. This is not mentorship or coaching because that implies a hierarchical relationship. We are looking for supporting relationships and not advising or "fixing" relationships. We believe that individuals are experts on themselves but they have rarely felt safe enough to find that out. Psychology has proven that authentic connections help with the healing from traumatic lifestyles and experiences.
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Goodwin Girlfriends will dedicate one in-person hour per week to their assigned Goodwin Girl, plus one additional "touch" per week in the form of a text or phone call. Weekly support will be provided for all Goodwin Girlfriends as needed.
Our Goals for
Goodwin Girls
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Exploration of, planning and initiation of employment and academic goals for a stable future.
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Increased knowledge of cooking and nutrition and how it affects physical and mental health.
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Develop and implement effective coping strategies for emotional regulation. Reduction of dysfunctional relationships attraction.
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Increase functional relationships while reducing social anxiety.
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Increased positive self-concept as they operate independently with support through the mission.
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Implement appropriate interpersonal boundaries.
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Financial education and budgeting.
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Receive encouragement and opportunities to volunteer within Crawford County to increase a sense of community.
Board of Director Members
Our Board of Directors consists of women from ages 22-67, all of us Goodwin Girls in experience.
Goodwin Girls Founder
Meet Leanne Goodwin
Founded by Leanne Goodwin, a Licensed Professional Counselor, with education that includes a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and a second Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Leanne is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Community Care and Counseling, focusing on Traumatology (completion 2025). Leanne is a 1992 graduate of Robinson High School. Goodwin Girls Inc was incorporated in September of 2022.
Nominations are not yet available as we fundraise to purchase the Goodwin Girls home.
Women who are offered housing will come to the organization by referral of community member/s by completing this nomination form. Consideration will be based on individual need, experiences, interview, and vacancy in the home. Background checks will be completed for each candidate to ensure safety of those in the home. Background checks are likely to yield difficult pasts and will not, on its own merit, eliminate the ability to be served by Goodwin Girls, Inc.