By Jim Priest and Bob Burke -- $24.95

Goodwill Industries was founded in 1902 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Methodist minister and social innovator Edgar J. Helms. In 1935, Oklahoma City publisher E. K. Gaylord heard about the success of Goodwill branches to enhance people’s dignity and quality of life by strengthening their communities, eliminating their barriers to opportunity, and helping them reach their full potential through learning and the power of work. Gaylord sent a reporter, Edith Johnson, to visit Goodwill programs in other states. Following her return, the Central Oklahoma branch of Goodwill Industries was founded.

Eighty-five years later, Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma employed 700 people, provided 12,030 services, and managed 25 retail stores and 17 donation centers. The thousands of men and women who have been provided training and job placement are testament to the fact that Goodwill Industries is “more than a store.”