The Story Behind Our Stores

For 100 years, Goodwill 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 re-purpose the items donated, we operate with the mission to offer barrier-removal opportunities to re-purpose the lives of the individuals we serve.

We are strongly affiliated with Goodwill Industries International, but mostly operate autonomously in our region. Founded in 1923, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with 1,800 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, helping them achieve and maintain employment to gain a better quality of life.

GOODWILL’S VALUE TO KENTUCKY

  • Mission: Goodwill® helps people with disabilities or other disadvantages achieve and maintain employment to gain a better quality of life.
  • Annually, we touch the lives of 20,000+ Kentuckians (people with disabilities, limited education, former offenders, and people experiencing chronic poverty), and assist them to obtain more than 3,000 jobs.
  • Most of our 1,300 retail employees have a disability or other challenge. We assist them to resolve barriers that have kept them from working.
  • Goodwill has 67 stores in 45 Kentucky communities, each providing 8-20 jobs and collectively repurposing/recycling more than 50 million pounds of used goods annually.
  • Annual budget: $106 million

GOODWILL’S PHILOSOPHY OF SERVICE

  • Employment is the cornerstone of any effort to strengthen families and break the cycle of poverty. When people become productive employees, they become taxpayers, better citizens, better parents, and
    better neighbors.
  • A hand up, not a handout. Many people who haven’t been able to work and support themselves begin to succeed once they receive a “hand up” in surmounting the barriers they face. We specialize in opportunity!

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
  • Access to service models from the Goodwill network throughout North America
  • Fiscal strength and stability

RAISING THE BAR ON COMMUNITY IMPACT

Goodwill has a long history of contributing to Kentucky’s economy and quality of life by employing people who would not otherwise have a job and assisting many others to secure jobs outside Goodwill. Now, we’re ready to do more to address some of Kentucky’s biggest issues: poverty and workforce development.

THE CHALLENGE:

  • Problems such as addiction, crime, poor health, and low education are often rooted in poverty.
  • Many services are available to poor people, but locating and accessing them is very challenging.
  • Kentucky’s workforce participation is low, while good jobs go unfilled.

OUR CONTRIBUTION:

  • We’re building a network of educators, service providers, and employers to leverage resources, address barriers, and offer career tracks. Our goal is to offer paths out of poverty while meeting employers’ labor needs.
  • We now offer a “soft skills academy” to teach people how to be good employees, with modules in self-presentation, attitude, dependability, conflict resolution, team building, and safety.
  • We remain available to our employer partners and graduates long after placement to assist with any difficulties and help our graduates continue to build a better life.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Donate at our stores! Partner with us! Spread the word!

OUR LEADERS

Amy Luttrell

President and Chief Executive Officer

DeVone Holt

Chief External Affairs Officer

Rena Sharpe

Chief Operating Officer

Mark P. Hohmann

Chief Financial Officer

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Nicholas Brake

Western Kentucky University

 

Croswell Chambers

Bluegrass Care Navigators, Inc

 

Elizabeth Davisson

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce

 

Douglas Edwards

Humana

 

Cherie Flueck

Lexmark International

Greg Gerard

Baptish Health, Richmond

 

Jason Groneck

GBBN Architects, Inc.

 

Connie Harvey

Commercial Healthcare Business Group, Xerox

 

Hugh Haydon

Kentucky Biopressing, Inc.

 

John Hunter

Buffalo Construction

 

Charles Kane

2nd Generation Capital

Emily Lawrence

The Glenview Trust Company

 

Lloyd Ledet

Credit Bureau Systems, Inc.

 

Jennifer Lindon

Hazard Community College

 

Debra Murphy

Trover Solutions

 

William Stout

University of Louisville, College of Business

Socialize with us

 

Socialize with us