“It would be well if those who are trying to lift the world out of our present economic slump would study the workings of the Goodwill Industries. It is saving the waste of things. It is salvaging cast-off materials and, in the process, is paying self-respecting wages to thousands who have been thrown on the industrial scrap-heap.”
Dr. Edgar J. Helms, 1935

Goodwill Industries has a rich history dating back to 1902. At that time Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister, conceived the idea of collecting unwanted household goods and employing men and women who were poor to repair and refurbish the items for resale. Income from the resold goods paid the workers’ wages. The system worked, and the Goodwill Industries method of self-help was born. Dr. Helms continuously surveyed his surroundings and sought out ways to help the citizens of his community in Boston, Massachusetts.

Today, Goodwill Industries International has hundreds of locations in the United States and throughout the world. While the basic goals and revenue generating activities of Goodwill have not changed greatly over the years, the types of people served have. Goodwill serves people who face a variety of barriers to employment, including physical or mental disabilities, illiteracy, homelessness, inadequate education and welfare dependency. Goodwill also serves a large number of displaced workers who have been laid off due to plant closures and downsizing. The ultimate goal is to place individuals in productive employment.

We, at Goodwill Industries of KYOWVA Area, provide a variety of training and employment opportunities, serving people with disabilities and disadvantages. As a result of these services, and with the help of our community partners, we are able to fulfill our mission.

Goodwill has been fulfilling its mission of helping people to define and achieve their goals and overcoming barriers to employment for more than 30 years, but never have the opportunities been greater to positively affect this community than they are right now.

Baseball champion Jackie Robinson once said “a life is not important except in the impact it has on others.” The staff and Board of Directors of Goodwill Industries of KYOWVA bring meaning to the lives of so many everyday, for that we are grateful for the opportunity to serve.