Goodwill was founded in 1902 in Boston’s south end by Reverend Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister. Helms was inspired by compassion for the poor, sick, and disabled. He began collecting shoes, clothing, and household items from wealthier areas of the city, then trained and hired the poor to repair and restore the used goods. In addition to learning the trades and skills necessary in the restoration process, they were paid wages out of the profits earned from selling the goods at a weekly church bazaar. The system worked and the Goodwill philosophy of not charity, but a chance, was born.
Heart of Texas Goodwill Industries, governed by a volunteer board of directors, is one of 165 autonomous Goodwill organizations in North America and part of a billion dollar mainstream retail industry worldwide.