Reverend Edgar Helms founded the first Goodwill in 1902 in Boston, Massachusetts. He collected used household goods and clothing from the wealthy and then trained and hired the poor and immigrants to mend the used goods. They were then resold or given to the people who repaired them, and the Goodwill philosophy of "a hand up, not a hand out" was born.
Reverend Helms' vision set an early course for what would one day become a $2 billion nonprofit organization which extends to nearly every corner of the United States and Canada. There are 184 autonomous member organizations in North America and 38 international associate members in 27 countries.
In 1957, J.C. Kennedy had the foresight to bring the much needed concept of Goodwill to Lawton, Okahoma and Goodwill lndustries of Southwest Oklahoma became part of the Goodwill International Network. Funded by the collection and resale of used goods, nearly 85% of revenues are used to provide vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabling and disadvantaging conditions. Through programs of evaluation, personal adjustment, skill training, work experience, and job placement, Goodwill strives to provide each individual served the opportunity to become an independent member of society.
Over the years, the population of Lawton steadily grew and so did the need for housing for the elderly and individuals with disabilities. In 1985 Goodwill Industries of Southwest Oklahoma completed the first of three apartment complexes that cater to the needs of the elderly and persons with developmental disabilities. Goodwill Village, J.C. Kennedy Square, and Goodwill Village West II provide 74 housing units specifically designed to meet the physical, social, and psychological needs of those individuals who live in them.
Goodwill Industries of Southwest Oklahoma expanded its services to the community in 1990 when it opened the Wintergreen Adult Day Services Center, a nursing home alternative. As the population grows older, many individuals require some form of assistance in daily living but are not ready for extensive nursing home care. Renamed Goodwill Adult Day Care in 2005, the facility provides a safe and pleasant environment where elderly individuals can enjoy a day full of activities and friendship while receiving general health care. In 2005, the facility located at 923 Hilltop Drive in Lawton expanded its children's summer camp program into day care services for exceptional children, with both after-school and full-time programs.
Now known as Goodwill Industries of Southwest Oklahoma and North Texas, Goodwill is proud to be a part of the Lawton/Fort Sill community's history, growth, and future and is looking forward to serving the community for many years to come.
