Purpose
Our
Mission
Willing workers employed.
Community resources maximized.
Who We Are
Goodwill Industries Serving Southeast Nebraska is a private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit agency governed by a local board of trustees. We are a member of Goodwill Industries International, a network of 165 community-based organizations in the United States, Canada, and 13 other countries.
What We Do
We offer career-related programs to people with barriers to employment. Those barriers look different for each individual but often include disabilities, mental health, skill-related factors, workforce re-entry, and more.
When you donate or shop, you help people find jobs—not just at a local Goodwill but at companies throughout the community. The sale of donated goods provides the largest source of funding for our services.
Provide employment services.
Employ people at Goodwill.
Connect people to resources.
Committed to Quality
Our organization is accredited by CARF (Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities) and follows international standards that have been developed over five decades. We are committed to continuous improvement and focused on the satisfaction of the people we serve.
Your Impact
Jobs in the Community
When you donate, you help people find jobs—at Goodwill and at companies throughout the community. Our retail sales are the largest source of funding for our employment services.
A Sustainable Future
Donating helps reduce the size of our local landfill. When we cannot resell an item, we make every effort to recycle responsibly. In 2022, we diverted 2.2 million pounds from landfills.
Our History
Goodwill in Lincoln was founded in 1932 by Miss Eleanor T. Miller who traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, to study the Morgan Memorial Goodwill, founded by Edgar J. Helms in 1902.
With Helms as the driving force, the Goodwill concept spread across the United States. He conceived the idea of collecting unwanted household goods and employing men who were impoverished to repair and refurbish them. Income from the resold goods paid the workers’ wages. The system worked and the Goodwill method of self-help was born.
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Work at Goodwill
