our mission has been the same since 1983.
We provide opportunities for people with barriers to employment.
OUR STORY:
Founded in 1983, Goodwill West Texas is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with 15 retail stores and 3 Career Centers serving a 35 county area. As an organization, we empower people, helping them fulfill their potential, improving the lives of their families, and contributing to the growth of our shared communities.
Our organization began in 1983, when Abilene native Ray King partnered with a group of local leaders to establish Goodwill for his son, Brian, who faced a barrier to employment. Brian is pictured below as a child in photo 2 and as an adult in photo 4. Our first location opened that year on Pine Street in Abilene (pictured below in photo 1).
Brian went on to become Goodwill West Texas’ longest-standing employee, a distinction he held until his retirement. Even after retiring, he remained part of the Goodwill family, returning for many years as a volunteer to hang clothes. Brian passed away in 2025, but his legacy and the reason our organization began continue to hold a special place in the heart of Goodwill West Texas.
In collaboration with a network of other local resource providers, Goodwill West Texas continually strives to broaden its scope of job training and employment services in alignment with our core mission of providing opportunities for people with barriers to employment.
Goodwill West Texas is so much more than a place to donate used household goods or shop for great deals—we’re not “just a thrift store.” At our core, we’re a mission-driven organization focused on changing lives through the power of work. In fact, 87 cents of every dollar earned in our stores goes directly into programs that support our team members and help individuals in our community overcome barriers to employment.
When you donate your new or gently used items and choose to shop with us, you're doing more than cleaning out a closet or finding a bargain—you’re helping transform lives and invest in brighter futures, right here in West Texas.
The very first Goodwill store in West Texas on Pine Street in Abilene, Tx. Still in operation to this day!
GWTX Founder Ray King pictured with his son Brian.
GWTX Founder Ray King in his office, sitting beneath the Goodwill "Smiling G" logo.
Brian King as an adult and proud employee of Goodwill West Texas.
Global mission: proudly WEST TEXAN
Goodwill West Texas is one of 15 different Goodwill organizations in Texas and part of a network of approximately 150 community-based, independently operated Goodwill organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in several other countries.
While we are part of the larger Goodwill network and share in its mission to help people overcome barriers to employment, Goodwill West Texas is proud to be an independent, locally governed, community-focused nonprofit. Goodwill Industries International supports our organization and other local Goodwills through shared resources, national partnerships, training, expertise and stewardship of the Goodwill brand.
That means decisions about our programs, services, and stores are made right here in West Texas by our local executive team and volunteer Board of Directors who know and care about the unique needs of our region. The impact of every donation and every purchase stays right here, supporting people and communities across the 35 counties we serve.
Together with other Goodwill organizations, we form a powerful network united by a shared purpose while remaining deeply rooted in the communities we serve.
Goodwill West Texas
TERRITORY MAP
where goodwill began
The original Goodwill Industries was founded in 1902 by Reverend Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister and early social innovator. Helms collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier areas of Boston, then trained and hired those who were poor to mend and repair the used goods. The goods were either resold or given to the people who repaired them. The system worked, and the Goodwill philosophy of "a hand up, not a hand out" was born.
As the model proved successful, it spread to other communities across the country. Over time, a network of independent, community-based Goodwill organizations developed, each locally governed and able to tailor its programs and services to the unique needs of the communities it serves.
Reverend Helms remained involved in the organization until his passing in 1942 when he was still serving as a spokesperson, visionary ambassador, and passionate advocate for the mission and its values of dignity, self-sufficiency, and opportunity.
More than a century later, Goodwill organizations continue to carry forward the mission Reverend Helms began. While each local Goodwill serves its community in its own way, we share a belief in creating opportunity and helping people reach their full potential through learning and the power of work. At Goodwill West Texas, your donations and purchases help us carry that mission forward right here at home by creating opportunities, supporting employment and changing lives through the power of work.
“Friends of Goodwill, be dissatisfied with your work until every person in your community has an opportunity to develop to their fullest usefulness and enjoy a maximum of abundant living.”
— Rev. Edgar J. Helms, Founder
While Goodwill West Texas is affiliated with Goodwill Industries International in name and logo, each Goodwill functions autonomously within its respective community.