The
first Goodwill began in Boston in 1902. Then,
Goodwill founder, Dr. Edgar J. Helms, in an
attempt to meet the needs of families in his
neighborhood, took a burlap coffee bag and
went to his friends in other parts of Boston,
returning with bags full of discards from
their closets. The plan of repairing these
garments and selling them for money to pay
wages to the workers quickly developed into
Goodwill.
Through the
years, the mission and scope of Goodwill has
grown. Today, Goodwill focuses on two areas:
offering the job training and vocational
rehabilitation necessary for disabled or
disadvantaged people to lead independent
lives and collecting donations from the
communities it serves to provide employment
in the production and retail areas of
Goodwill.
The strength
of the Vocational Services program of
Goodwill Industries lies in the ability to
train people to meet identified needs in the
community. One of the greatest challenges
facing the business world is finding
qualified workers to fill jobs, particularly
at the entry level. Yet while this shortage
exists, people with disabilities and other
barriers to employment remain unemployed.
The
first Goodwill began in Boston in 1902. Then,
Goodwill founder, Dr. Edgar J. Helms, in an
attempt to meet the needs of families in his
neighborhood, took a burlap coffee bag and
went to his friends in other parts of Boston,
returning with bags full of discards from
their closets. The plan of repairing these
garments and selling them for money to pay
wages to the workers quickly developed into
Goodwill. 
