Shop at our 36 Tennessee Goodwill stores to find bargains on clothing, furniture, books and more and to support our mission of changing lives through education, training and employment.
Founded in 1957 as a nonprofit organization, Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee’s mission is changing lives through education, training and employment. At Goodwill, we believe in giving a hand up, not a handout — a saying coined by Goodwill’s founder, the Rev. Edgar J. Helms. In the early 1900s, Helms performed missionary work in the slums of Boston. He hired the poor and needy to mend and repair used goods that he collected from wealthy Bostonians. The refurbished items were resold and given to the people who did the repair work, the basis for the mission of Goodwills throughout the U.S. and abroad. Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee is based in Nashville, Tenn. The agency employs more than 2,000 people and serves 48 counties throughout Middle and West Tennessee. We operate 33 retail stores and three outlets, more than 75 donation sites and eight Career Solutions offices. Goodwill is one of Middle and West Tennessee’s largest employer of people with disabilities with more than 88 percent of our workforce reporting some type of disability or disadvantage. Although affiliated with Goodwill Industries International in Bethesda, Md., we operate independently through our own governing board of directors. Goodwill accepts gently-used items that donors no longer want, need or use. Those items are sold either in our retail stores or online at onlinegoodwill.com. Revenue from the sale of donated goods helps fund job training services and programs provided by Goodwill Career Solutions. In addition to retail sales, Goodwill depends on several other revenue sources, including state and local grants.
When someone walks into our center, we introduce ourselves first, let them know who we are, and then how can we help them. We have them to register in, and then we find out what they're looking for, what their needs are. We hold their hand just throughout the process to let them know you're not alone, and we've all had to start here. If they're looking for work, then we assist them. We have somet We want them to find a job, and then a better job, and then a career. We have other resources that we can share with them. If they are homeless, we can connect them with various housing organizations. We have grants here at Goodwill that will pay for bus passes as well. Once a client here at Goodwill, you're always a client. If you go out and find a job. If you leave, you can always come back here. We provide services for anyone, and they can come back as long as they We're here to help them, and so we just let them know that we're here. And just a step away.