Shortly after the U.S. military evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021, I had the opportunity to tour the headquarters of Goodwill Industries-Big Bend.

As you know, some former Afghan citizens came to our country with only the clothes on their backs and had great difficulty adjusting to the United States.

Here in Tallahassee, a young man came to our country and found work at Goodwill. He didn't speak the language, but Goodwill gave him a chance with a job at their facility, which many others weren't able to do, and that's all people need sometimes: a second chance.

Last year I was at another Goodwill event and saw a young woman break down in tears and thank the Goodwill team for helping her get her nursing certification. She had to overcome some obstacles in her life and with Goodwill's help she found a new and better paying path for her life, career and family. I got to shake her hand that day and the more miles I put on in my professional and personal life, the more moments like these mean the world to me.

At the national level, Goodwill was founded in 1902 by Rev. Edgar J. HelmsHelms began the model of collecting donated goods and preparing them for sale in Boston.

He collected household items, hired people to repair them, and then sold them or gave them away to the people who repaired them. This model gave rise to the national philosophy of an organization across the United States that “gives help, not handouts.”

Goodwill has offices, stores and learning centers throughout Florida and nine organizations that oversee those hundreds of locations. While the perception of Goodwill may be focused on donating and subsequently selling goods, which is an important part of its work, its overall mission and the things it accomplishes have a much nobler theme. The Florida Goodwill Association states that its mission is “to promote social welfare throughout the state of Florida, particularly the welfare of persons with barriers to employment.”

Our North Florida Goodwill organization, Goodwill Industries, Big Bend Inc., was founded in Tallahassee in 1965 and has its own mission: “To create opportunities through education, career services and support for individuals and to help families succeed in the Big Bend.”

Their services range from the traditional model that Helms started in 1902 of offering donated items for sale, but that's just the beginning. Other programs they offer include job training (construction, nursing, hospitality, and others), job placement, housing placement and assistance, child care (including for children with special needs), reintegration programs, career counseling, and many other services.

Nowadays, there are also computer stores, bookstores, and even car washes, making for a large and diverse presence in our state.

I sat down with Fred ShelverCEO and President of Goodwill here in Florida to talk about his 20+ years of service with the organization.

Shelfer began his career in real estate; in fact, the Summerbrooke neighborhood in Tallahassee was one of his projects and is named after his two daughters.

We talked about his path to Goodwill:

“When I'm asked why I'm involved with Goodwill, I often say that Goodwill has allowed me to use my business experience to help people in our community gain the skills they need to support themselves and their families. Our mission is to help people overcome barriers to employment.”

Please listen to our entire conversation on the Biz & Tech Podcast:

By the numbers, Goodwill has helped over two million people advance their careers, helped over 120,000 people find jobs, and provided another 25,000 people with career certification and job training. I mentioned two stories that I personally witnessed here in Florida, and if you want to dive into other life-changing stories across our country, you can check them out: Chelsea, ShaheeraAnd Kara and their pursuit of success in the technology field.

This video is the result of a collaboration between Goodwill, Google and several others:

Goodwill is more than an organization; it's a mission, and branding a mission like that isn't easy. Most companies and organizations struggle to find a name that fits the company's goals. Goodwill is the exception; what they do and bring to the table is in their name, and getting to know their team here in Florida has been a career highlight.

My thanks go to Mr shelf, Kim, will, Tamara, Eneydi, Shannon, Rick, Marcie and all who serve this organization. Thank you for making your life's work celebrating the good and “carrying on until the curse of poverty and exploitation is banished from mankind.” (As Rev. Helms said.)

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