GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY INC

Goodwill SJV’s mission is based on the fundamental belief that people want to work to provide a better life for themselves and their families. Slogans such as “We believe in the Power of Work” and “Our Business is Changing Lives” were created as a communication tool to help the public understand that Goodwill SJV supports an individual’s right to work and prosper regardless of his/her barrier to employment.

Goodwill was started in 1902 by Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister in a poor parish in Boston. His vision was to lift people out of poverty by offering them an opportunity to learn work skills that would earn a paycheck in order to become self-sufficient. The Goodwill social enterprise model was launched and spread throughout the United States. Goodwill SJV was incorporated in the state of California in 1942, just in time to assist with scrap salvaging efforts for World War II. Many of Goodwill’s early clients were veterans in need of job training and placement services. Today, Goodwill continues to serve people with barriers to employment to get the training they need to land the job they want.

Goodwill SJV operates 16 retail stores, two bulk-sale facilities and a division dedicated to providing jobs for people with disabilities (Goodwill Service Connection).