Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh is a human service agency and network of not-for-profit businesses whose mission is to assist people with special needs to overcome barriers to work and enjoy the dignity and benefits of employment and improved quality of life.

Description:
Providing employment-related education, training, counseling and job opportunities for people with disabilities, economic disadvantages, and other barriers to employment are the core activities of Goodwill. Through a variety of interest tests, aptitude tests and basic skills and competency skills assessments, we identify each person's employment capabilities and then provide classroom education and "hands-on" job training programs to help the individual reach his or her full employment potential.

History:
Goodwill was founded in 1902 in Boston's South End by Rev. Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister. Helms collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier areas of the city, then trained and hired the poor and immigrants to mend and repair the used goods. The goods were then resold or were given to the people who repaired them. The system worked, and the Goodwill philosophy of "a hand up, not a hand out" was born.

The organization, formally incorporated in 1910 and housed in Boston's Morgan Memorial Chapel, became known as Morgan Memorial Cooperative Industries and Stores, Inc. It provided job skills training programs and even a rudimentary placement service. The name "Goodwill Industries" was later adopted after a Brooklyn, NY, workshop coined the phrase.

Dr. Helms' vision set an early course for what would one day become a $1.8 billion nonprofit organization. Helms described Goodwill Industries as an "industrial program as well as a social service enterprise...a provider of employment, training and rehabilitation for people of limited employability, and a source of temporary assistance for individuals whose resources were depleted."

Contact person: Jackie Abel-Stavropoulos, Program Manager, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: 412-481-0187

Address:

2600 E. Carson Street, Sixth Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.goodwillpitt.org

Directions:

We are on the corner of East Carson and 26th Streets, with the main door facing onto 26th Street.   Nearest Bus Stop: 51A, B, D, E, G For maps or information, please see http://www.portauthority.org/ride/ride.html

Miscellaneous Information

Are court referrals welcomed?
	Yes
Is act 33/34 clearance required of your volunteers?
	Yes

The inclusion of any organization or person in this database does not constitute a representation, warranty, or endorsement with respect to the competence, suitability, or reliability of such organization or person by United Way of Allegheny County; nor does United Way of Allegheny County sponsor or endorse any third-party web site. Legal Notices