
Goodwill can trace its roots back to 1902, when Reverand Edgar Helms of the Morgan Methodist Chapel in Boston, began Goodwill as a part of the church ministry. Helms and others in his congregation would collect items that had been left for trash pickup, then trained and hired the poor or unemployed to repair and resell the items.

Today, the 32,000 Goodwill locations still collect household items, clothing, furniture, and other items to be sold at store locations, however, the company also offers items for auction on sites such as eBay or on their own website shopgoodwill.com.

In 2013, an article published information regarding the substantial difference between what employees earn and executive compensation.

Goodwill is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.

We use to donate to the Goodwill in Paintsville, Kentucky . We sent new clothes childrens and adults plus toys that were not opened. This is just to give you an idea of our yearly donations. Two years ago instead of me taking everything in, my husband did. He helped your ( 4 ) employees unload our truck. A 15 minute drive home and I noticed an item that we’ve had in our family for 20 years, that we past down through our family was gone. My husband pick it up by mistake. As he walk in our home I said where is it ? It’s to be past down in 3 or 6 weeks , that’s why it was close to our donations. He went ( 15 minute drive ) back to your Goodwill store , had the itemized slip in his hand. Your 1 lady and 3 men that helped unload said they had never seen him , didn’t know where he got the item slip -dated for that day. My husband told them he made s mistake and would pay any amount they wanted just to buy back the unreplacable item . Your employees stole our family treasure and we went to Paintsville Kentucky Goodwill store twice a day for 6 weeks to try and find it, even ask when would donations be put in the store. We got an ” I don’t do that “. Your employees steal and stand up for each other so they don’t get caught. They’ve done this same thing to so many others that donate and make a mistake and go back and are told “We’ve never seen you “. I know because I’ve told this to so many people and the same has happened to them. I realize now ( 2 years later ) that we should have called the police, but it would have been our word against theirs. So now you know, your employees steal and take the first pick of what is donated. I’m ashamed of this behavior. Your employees in Paintsville Kentucky are dishonest and liars. I have never and will never donate to Goodwill again. I know you can’t do anything now to compensate us, because it’s been 2 years, but I still regret the loss of our family treasure