About Us

Goodwill Industries of Erie, Huron, Ottawa & Sandusky Counties’ History

  • Goodwill Industries of Erie, Huron, Ottawa & Sandusky Counties originally began as a branch of Goodwill Industries of Toledo in 1961, before becoming the fully autonomous Goodwill Industries of Sandusky, Ohio, Inc. in 1973.
  • Goodwill Industries of Sandusky, Ohio, Inc. changed its name to Sandusky Bay Area Goodwill Industries, Inc. in 1994 before finally becoming Goodwill Industries of Erie, Huron, Ottawa & Sandusky Counties, Inc. in 2009.
  • Locally we serve Erie, Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky Counties and employ more than 450 individuals in 7 Retail Stores, 1 Factory, 2 Vocational Habilitation Centers, and 1 Outlet Store.

Goodwill Industries International’s History

Edgar Helms

The roots of Goodwill originated in 1902, when Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister from Boston, accepted a challenge to serve as a settlement worker among the poor immigrants of Boston’s South End. Inspired by compassion for people with disabilities and other disadvantaging conditions, he sought a way to improve their quality of life.

Helms took a burlap sack and began traveling to the wealthier areas of the city, asking for unwanted garments and other goods. Poor men and women were then put to work at Morgan Memorial Chapel, restoring the collected items, learning trades, and acquiring skills as they worked. Once the items were repaired, they were resold, and the money was used to pay the workers’ wages. This cycle of donating, repairing, selling, and paying wages was the beginning of Goodwill Industries — and remains intact today.

Helms pioneered an organization that gave people hope, dignity, and independence. His social innovation set in motion a worldwide movement that would transform millions of lives. For more information on the history of Goodwill, visit Goodwill Industries International’s website.