Goodwill Industries of East Texas

Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc. is dedicated to providing skills training and vocational opportunities for people with barriers to employment.

The first Goodwill began in Boston in 1902. Goodwill founder, Dr. Edgar J. Helms, in an attempt to meet the needs of families in his neighborhood, took a burlap coffee bag and went to his friends in other parts of Boston, returning with bags full of discards from their closets. The plan of repairing these garments and selling them for money to pay wages to the workers quickly developed into Goodwill.

Goodwill Industries of East Texas (GIET) started because a group of individuals saw the opportunity to change East Texan's lives for the better.

In 1969 Goodwill Industries of East Texas began as a branch of Goodwill Industries of Dallas, TX. The first store and training center was located at 423 Locust Street in Downtown Tyler. In 1975 Goodwill Industries of East Texas Incorporated as an independent Goodwill agency and was granted 501 (c) 3 Status. The 5th store location opened in Longview, Texas. July 7, 1978, the Goodwill Cafeteria opened, serving disabled workers and staff @ $0.80 per meal.

Today, GIET operates 15 stores, in 14 cities, and provides services for individuals with barriers to employment in 13 counties