Our History
A Vision of Dignity and Opportunity
Goodwill’s story begins with Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister in Boston who believed that people needed more than charity. They needed an opportunity.
In 1896, while serving a struggling inner-city parish, Helms began collecting donated clothing and household goods from wealthier neighborhoods. Instead of giving those items away, he created paid work repairing and reselling them for people who had been labeled “unemployable.”
The wages were modest. The impact was profound.
Work restored dignity. Opportunity rebuilt confidence. And a simple idea became a movement.
Helms famously urged supporters to remain dissatisfied “until every person in your community has an opportunity to develop to their fullest usefulness.” That belief still shapes Goodwill today.
Goodwill Comes to Evansville
In 1935, Evansville became part of the growing Goodwill movement. With no assets and only determination, local leaders opened the city’s first Goodwill location on Northwest First Street. Donation bags were distributed through churches. Boy Scouts canvassed neighborhoods. A local business lent a truck so donations could be collected.
That same year, Edgar J. Helms himself visited Evansville to encourage the effort.
By the end of the first year, 27 men and women, many unable to find work elsewhere, had gained employment through Goodwill. For them, it was more than a paycheck. It was a chance to belong and contribute.
Built To Endure
Evansville Goodwill’s early years were shaped by resilience. In 1937, the Ohio River flood devastated much of the city. Goodwill responded by housing evacuees, storing furniture, and preparing meals for displaced families, even as its own facilities were impacted.
Just one year later, a fire destroyed much of Goodwill’s building and inventory.
Instead of closing, the community rallied. Operations resumed. Volunteers showed up. Donors replaced what was lost. And Goodwill continued serving neighbors in need.
This perseverance became part of Evansville Goodwill’s DNA: when challenges arise, the mission continues.
Growing with the Community
As community needs evolved, so did Goodwill. Throughout the decades, Evansville Goodwill expanded beyond retail into rehabilitation services, workforce development, housing support, sustainability initiatives, and education. Each new program reflected a growing understanding that opportunity is not one-dimensional.
From vocational rehabilitation and recycling efforts to digital skills training and adult education, Goodwill adapted to serve the whole person, body, mind, and future.
Honoring the Past. Build The Future.
In recent years, Evansville Goodwill has entered a new era of impact. With the launch of GoodSkills Academy, the opening of The Excel Center® Evansville Southeast, expanded retail and outlet locations, and a renewed focus on sustainability, education, and workforce pathways, Goodwill has strengthened its role as a community builder.
Today, our mission is clear:
To help people, families, and communities thrive through the power of relationships, education, and work.
And our vision remains bold:
Communities where all people and families thrive.
The Cycle Continues
From a single burlap bag in Boston to a network of community-driven organizations across the country, Goodwill has always believed in a simple truth: When people are given opportunity, communities grow stronger.
That belief lives on in Evansville through the Cycle of Good, where generosity fuels programs, programs empower people, and empowered people enrich the community.
Our history is not just something we remember. It’s something we carry forward.
We are proud of where we’ve been and committed to where we’re going.
As our community continues to change, we remain rooted in the same belief that started it all: dignity, opportunity, and the power of work can change lives.