Star Staff Reports
Memphis Goodwill is celebrating 100 years in business.
“We have hosted several events this summer to celebrate,” said Ursula Roman, VP of Marketing and Communications at Memphis Goodwill. “Our last event will take place on Thursday, July
27 in Millington, where we will not only be celebrating our 100th anniversary but also the Grand Re-Opening of the Millington store. It’s an all-new look with the same super savings! The first 100 customers will receive a scratch and win card with a chance to win up to $100 in Goodwill Bucks.”
Goodwill has been providing opportunities to those who face difficult obstacles in their lives for more than 120 years. The national organization was founded by the Rev. Edgar J. Helms in Boston back in 1902 and Memphis Goodwill began 100 years ago in 1923.
Helms, a Methodist minister was inspired by compassion for the sick, poor, and disabled. He began collecting unwanted goods from Boston’s wealthier areas. Then he trained and hired the underprivileged to repair and sell the used goods, in addition to learning the traits and skills necessary in the restoration process. They were paid wages from the profits earned from selling the goods at a weekly church bazaar. The system worked and the philosophy of “not charity, but a chance” was born. Little did the reverend know that his successful outreach would soon become one of the world’s largest and most successful nonprofit organizations.
Goodwill Industries International trains and employs workers on five continents, and more than 155 independent member organizations operate in North America alone.
“Over the past 100 years, as one of the independent member organizations, Memphis Goodwill has worked hard to follow the organizational mission – to give people with barriers to employment job skills training through a positive work experience,” said Tony Martini, President and CEO of Memphis Goodwill. “Our mission is to change the lives of people with disabilities and other barriers to employment through the power of work, education, and empowerment.”
Memphis Goodwill is making an impact across 24 counties in the Mid-South and North Mississippi. Operating 11 stores, over 29 attended donation centers and bookstores, and two bargain centers that, combined with the contracts & donor services programs, provide jobs for more than 650 individuals in the community annually.
Memphis Goodwill also creates an incredible impact on the environment. We sourced, repurposed, and sold 638,000 donated items in just one year, saving 13 million pounds of salvage from landfills.
For the last century, Goodwill has been transforming lives in Mid-South through more than just donated goods operations.
Goodwill also created job and mission opportunities with a contracts program and The Excel Center – paving a pathway to progress for Memphis.
Memphis Goodwill Contracts Programs offers janitorial services and switchboard operation employment opportunities to more than 500 individuals with disabilities through crucial partnerships with federal and state governments – empowering people toward financial prosperity.
In 2015, The Excel Center Memphis was established as a beacon of hope for individuals searching to further their education and earning potential. Not only do students have the chance to obtain their high school diploma, but they can also learn valuable skills necessary for success – from professional certifications to college credits! By providing these tools at no cost, this amazing program provides an opportunity to help launch each student towards a brighter future.
More than 1,200 diplomas have been awarded in the past eight years, 86 percent of Excel Graduates are employed or enrolled in college, and the average wage gain is $20,000 for graduates who enter the workforce after two years compared to all students at enrollment.
“Our business is changing lives for the next 100 years and we are excited about the future,” Martini concluded.
