About us

What started with one truck and one storefront 100 years ago has helped thousands of people in our community receive education, training, jobs, and a second chance.

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 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.

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

A blue background with white text that says mission we help people transform potential into opportunity.
A poster that says vision a community where every person regardless of ability situation or background can achieve their greatest potential
The core values of a company are people , integrity , commitment , and continuous improvement.

Our Strategic Plan

A blue sign that says our strategic plan strengthen our mission community engagement
A blue sign that says our strategic plan on it

Our Guiding Principles

We are committed to providing world-class customer service.
We are committed to clean neat organized accessible and safe facilities.
We are committed to a store with full and fresh inventory
An icon of a hand with the words ensure every customer / guest is acknowledged welcomed and greeted within 10 seconds
Every time we touch a donation , something good should happen.
All donations should be processed within 24 hours not stored
If you have a pile , you have a problem.
Hard goods should be priority processed on a blue background
Material handling equipment is for moving donations , not for storage or merchandising.
A blue background with a white circle with two arrows in it.

When we commit to our guiding principles, donor values should increase, profits should increase, and potential should transform into opportunity within the communities we serve.

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 16 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. 

A seal that says aspire to excellence carf accredited
A logo for platinum transparency 2024 by candid.
A man in a blue shirt is standing in front of a sign that says `` your purchase ''.

Careers at Goodwill

We believe everyone should have the opportunity to live independently, earn wages, and achieve their dreams.


We are committed to helping you achieve your personal and professional goals, whether it’s earning a credential or degree, planning for your next career, polishing your job search and interview skills, getting your finances in order, or overcoming a challenge specific to your experience or background.


We are here for you!

Careers at Goodwill

Our Service Area

A map of the united states with a blue background

Goodwill Chattanooga Blog

Schneider Trucking Hiring Event

By Lora B • March 13, 2025

Solara Sain x CityScope Magazine

By Lora B • March 10, 2025
Solara Sain From Store Associate to Vice President of Retail Operations From 1992 to 1995, the Bosnian War displaced more than 2 million people as they fled to seek safety from the violence - and Solara Sain was one of them. "I was granted the opportunity to move to the U.S. through a Lutheran Church refugee program," shares Sain. "Although I had little work experience, I was determined to find a job that allowed me to earn a living." At the time, Goodwill was opening a new store within walking distance of Sain's apartment, and she was hired as a store associate in January of 1997. Before the war, Sain never imagined she would live in America, so her English was very limited. "When I arrived in the U.S., my English vocabulary consisted of about 200 words, shares Sain. "Every day presented a new challenge to learn something new." Despite this obstacle, Sain persisted. She became a U.S. citizen in 2001, and from 1997 to 2005, Sain was promoted three separate times, eventually earning the title of store manager. But Sain's journey didn't stop there. She continued to participate in training programs and accept any opportunities for growth. From 2008 to 2020, Sain continued to advance in leadership roles at Goodwill across the country, from Oklahoma City to Dallas, Texas. "Today, I am proud to serve as vice president of retail operations at Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga area," says Sain. "Goodwill is much more than a store. More than 85 cents from every dollar generated in stores by the sale of donated items is used to support our mission to help people transform their potential into opportunity through education, training, and employment." Throughout her career progression at Goodwill, Sain was inspired to persevere by her late father, and his influence still guides her journey today. "He never stopped learning, which is why I enrolled in college to pursue his dream of all of his children obtaining a college degree," finishes Sain. "In May of this year, I will graduate with my master's degree." Page 150

Cleaning Advantage Hiring Event

By Lora B • March 5, 2025
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