Founded in 1902 in Boston by Rev. Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister and early social innovator, Goodwill collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier areas of the city, then trained and hired those who were poor or disabled to mend and repair the used goods. The goods were then resold or were given to the people who repaired them. The system worked, and the Goodwill philosophy of "a hand up, not a hand out" was born.
Dr. Helms' vision set the course for what today has become a $4.7 billion non-profit, charitable organization. Helms described Goodwill Industries as an "industrial program as well as a social service enterprise...a provider of employment, training and rehabilitation.
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