Goodwill Michiana history

Of the 17,545 handicapped men and women employed by Goodwill that year, about 30 percent had found full- or part-time jobs in private industry by May 1952.

Our laundry services launched in 1974, serving Naval Station Great Lakes and beginning a long-standing relationship with the Navy.

In 1981 the Chicago chapter came out with its own line of designer jeans, called "Goodies." Although used, they came with a designer label and sold for $4.99, compared to $1.50 for Goodwill's other used jeans.

A Denver outlet began selling used ski equipment in 1993, most of it in good shape but coming with a disclaimer for liability.

A 1994 survey found that five of every six dollars in Goodwill Industries income went for program spending, which ranked the organization in the top ten social-service charities in the United States in that category.

Industrial and service contract work had become an increasingly important source of revenue for Goodwill Industries by 1995, when it accounted for $214 million, or more than 20 percent of combined revenues.

Later that year, Goodwill also made its voice heard in Washington, D.C., urging Congress to reauthorize the 1998 Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The implementation of the WIA, as it had been written, had greatly affected people with disabilities.

In 2000, Portland, Oregon, stores started an advertising campaign that was compared to trendy ads ran by Target Corporation and the Gap Inc.

By 2004, Goodwill Industries International had grown into a network of 207 member organizations with locations in the United States, Canada, and 23 other countries.

In October 2011, Goodwill Industries of the Valleys celebrated 80 years of service.

Jacqueline (Jackie) Hallberg succeeds John L. Miller as Goodwill’s next President and CEO in January 2013.

In August, the organization announced a merger with Goodwill of Southern Indiana, to become effective on New Year’s Day, 2017.

In 2018, Goodwill staff served over 9 million meals, handled over 3 million pieces of mail, and issued over 2.5 million uniform pieces to Sailors and Recruits.

Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina (GIUMSC) ranks 3rd nationally, out of 150+ Goodwill organizations, for total placements in 2019.