WHO WE ARE - Goodwill Kentucky

The Story Behind Our Stores

For 100+ years, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky has been widely recognized for accepting and reselling gently used items that are donated to our retail locations. With a geographic footprint that spans across 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties, it’s hard to miss our 67 stores. But that is only the beginning of our story. Much like how we accept and repurpose the items donated, we operate with the mission to offer barrier-removal opportunities to repurpose the lives of the individuals we serve.

We are strongly affiliated with Goodwill Industries International but operate autonomously in our region. Founded in 1923, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with 3,000 dedicated employees driven by the mission to serve Kentuckians who are recovering from addiction, reentering society from incarceration, lacking education or transportation, unhoused or homeless, surviving chronic poverty or living with an intellectual or physical disability. Through the power of work, Goodwill gives a hand up to these individuals, not a handout, to help them achieve and maintain employment to gain a better quality of life.

GOODWILL’S PHILOSOPHY OF SERVICE

Employment leading to a career is the cornerstone of any effort to strengthen families and break the cycle of poverty. When people become productive employees, they become better citizens, better parents and better neighbors.

We specialize in opportunity. Our motto is, “a hand up, not a handout!” Many people who haven’t been able to work and support themselves can succeed once they receive an effective “hand up” and begin to believe in themselves.

WHAT DOES GOODWILL PROVIDE?

Goodwill offers pathways out of poverty for people who want a better life. We provide resources to address the barriers that hold people back, then help them find a career track leading to family sustaining wages.
Most of the people we assist are either in recovery from addiction, reentering society from incarceration, have a disability or are experiencing chronic poverty.
We form close partnerships with other organizations to make it easier for our clients to access all the services they need.
Many of our clients who have the most life challenges begin with employment at Goodwill, where we support them in stabilizing their lives and preparing for a career.

GOODWILL BY THE NUMBERS

We assist 20,000+ Kentuckians annually and help them to obtain more than 4,000 jobs.
Our operations create 3,000 jobs that give people a place to start.
We operate 67 stores in 45 communities and keep more than 50 million pounds of used goods out of landfills each year.
We operate 12 Opportunity Centers throughout Kentucky to offer the services and resources from Goodwill and our many partners.
Our annual budget is $140 million.

OUR STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES

Geographic reach – 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties
Jobs that can assist people in their journey to
self-sufficiency
Experience with the most challenging populations of job seekers
Access to best practices from the Goodwill network throughout North America
Fiscal strength and stability

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Thousands of Kentuckians live in poverty and are not working due to the barriers they face, while good jobs go unfilled. This contributes to problems such as addiction, crime, poor health and low education.
Goodwill’s holistic approach to join with partners to resolve barriers such as transportation, housing, mental health and legal issues is game-changing for people who want to build a better life for themselves and their children.
We connect people with education and employment that leads to careers. We remain available for as long as needed, to assist with any difficulties and to help our graduates continue to build a better life.