About us

Goodwill was founded in 1902 in Boston, MA, by Rev. Edgar J. Helms. The idea was simple, fight poverty not with charity but with trade skills and provide a chance for the poor and unemployed to do productive work.

Inspired by compassion for the poor, sick, and disabled and determined to improve their quality of life, Helms put a burlap bag over his shoulder and and asked for unwanted clothing, shoes, and household goods. He employed people in need to restore those collected items and taught them trades and skills as they worked. The income from the resale of those goods paid wages to these people.

With Helms as the driving force, Goodwill Industries spread throughout the United States. On July 5, 1923, Chattanooga Goodwill opened as the first Goodwill in the state of Tennessee and the 25th in the world.

Structure

Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga Area is an innovative and sustainable social enterprise that utilizes its resale strategies to provide training to people with disabilities and other barriers to employment such as multi-generational poverty, history of incarceration, and limited education and work experience. Goodwill accepts clothing and other household goods from the public and sells these donated items in 17 community-based stores. Revenue from the sale of these goods goes directly toward supporting and growing critical local programs and job placement services.

Goodwill is an autonomous 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is a member agency of Goodwill Industries International and the United Way of Greater Chattanooga. Chattanooga Goodwill is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and serves 23 counties in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia.