Our Rich History

Goodwill Industries International has a rich history of more than 120 years. Dr. Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister, founded Goodwill in 1902 in Boston, MA. Dr. Helms collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier areas of the city, then trained and hired unemployed people to mend and repair the used goods. The goods were then resold, and proceeds paid the workers’ wages and were invested in the development of job training programs. The system worked, and the Goodwill philosophy of a hand up, not a hand out was born. Dr. Helms’ vision set an early course for what has become a $6 billion nonprofit organization with more than 165 autonomous member organizations worldwide.