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Who we are
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Minnesota roots start in St. Paul
Since the organization was formed, Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota has provided innovative services for people with barriers to employment, education and independence. Founded by Rev. Herbert Burgstahler and a group of community and business leaders, Goodwill Industries of St. Paul began operating in the Church of the Good Shephard in 1919. |
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In 1984, Goodwill joined the Easter Seals Disability Services to become its Minnesota affiliate and was renamed Goodwill Industries, Inc./Easter Seals Society of Minnesota. The merger combined the best resources of both national organizations to offer job training, placement and related services.
Today, Goodwill/Easter Seals offers workforce development services at seven sites throughout Minnesota: Apple Valley, Elk River, Minneapolis, Rochester, St. Cloud, St. Paul and Willmar. Each year, we help more than 10,000 people with disabilities and other social and economic disadvantages develop and reach their employment goals in the automotive, banking, construction and retail industries.
We also operate 15 retail stores and donation centers throughout Minnesota along with an Outlet store and boutique. Donations and purchases of "gently used goods" at these locations help support our workforce development programs.
Minnesota's historical highlights
Beginnings
The first Goodwill chapter west of the Mississippi River was Goodwill Industries of St. Paul, founded in 1919 by a group of St. Paul civic leaders. The original site was the Church of the Good Shepard at 12th and Cedar. The organization followed the model of Goodwill Industries of America and promoted the idea of donating goods. Goodwill workers repaired donated merchandise and were paid by Goodwill store sale receipts.
The Depression
Throughout the Depression, the St. Paul Goodwill continued to provide jobs and low-cost merchandise. Goodwill also provided a Community House for 30 to 50 workers, a home for the elderly and a vocational training program for young people with physical disabilities.
WWII & post-war years
During World War II, the federal government requested that Goodwill Industries support the rehabilitation of servicemen with disabilities, which resulted in new training programs and a vocational training center. The prosperity of the postwar era brought financial stability to the St. Paul Goodwill; buildings were paid off and additional stores developed.
The 60s
In the 1960s, Goodwill shifted its emphasis from assisting "the aged and downtrodden" and began designing programs for people with mental and physical disabilities. Funds were raised to build sheltered workshops and to purchase furniture strippers, sanding machines, band saws and drill presses.
The 70s
The St. Paul Goodwill expanded its metro territory to include Minneapolis. Goodwill sought and received accreditation from CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) for the first time in 1977. CARF is the standard-setting and accrediting body for the nation.
The 80s
In 1984, Goodwill Industries and the Easter Seals Society merged in Minnesota. Development of retail stores and service centers in Greater Minnesota soon followed. Appeals for donated items made a strong pitch for the benefits of recycling, as the environmental movement grew in Minnesota.
The 90s
Goodwill/Easter Seals expanded retail operations to Apple Valley, Coon Rapids, Elk River, Rochester, Roseville and St. Cloud. We also expanded our workforce development programs to serve individuals with economic and educational barriers to employment. Welfare reform passed by Congress and the Minnesota Legislature created new opportunities for Goodwill/Easter Seals. Welfare recipients entered our new industry-specific skills training programs in the automotive, banking, construction and retail fields.
The new millennium
Today, Goodwill//Easter Seals continues its commitment to creating solutions and changing lives through the power of work.
Please contact us for more information on Goodwill/Easter Seals.
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