Bellmon award a testament to Goodwill mission, founder's vision

Goodwill Tulsa received the award at the Henry Bellmon Sustainability Awards gala October 9, 2014.

“’A hand up, not a hand out’” was one of the early mottos used by Dr. Edgar J. Helms to describe Goodwill’s mission when he founded the International Goodwill movement in 1902. True to that model, Goodwill Industries of Tulsa still turns donations into jobs today. However, the Goodwill model is more than a win-win scenario for job seekers,” Goodwill President David Oliver wrote in an opinion piece. “While Goodwill employees benefit by earning wages and participants in Goodwill job training programs benefit by learning new job skills and ultimately becoming employed in the community and earning competitive wages, there are other winners, as well.”

Oliver noted “Donors benefit by having convenient locations where no longer needed items can be donated. Store customers benefit by being able to purchase quality goods at affordable prices. And the entire community benefits because fewer items enter the waste stream for disposal. This entire process provided an economic impact on our community in excess of $80 million last year.”

That multifaceted mission drives Goodwill’s work in eastern Oklahoma and southwest Missouri. The mission cycle includes diverting waste from area landfills (more than 18,000,000 pounds last year); allowing shoppers to buy high quality clothing and other goods at affordable prices; and the hiring of individuals with barriers to employment while providing job training and other support to help people find jobs.

“Goodwill Industries of Tulsa is a superb example of sustainability, balancing the three p's — people, profit and planet — by investing in our community through job training and job creation, and supporting their training center by recycling used items back into the community,” said Corey Williams, Executive Director of Sustainable Tulsa. “Goodwill Industries of Tulsa is a great model of sustainability, by making a profit that also protects our environment and increases quality of life of thousands in our community.”

Goodwill, a past winner of the Responsible Economic Growth Award, is extremely proud and thankful to receive the overall Bellmon award this year. It is a testament to the mission and the support of our community.

“None of Goodwill’s efforts would be possible without the generous support of a caring community willing to help us make Dr. Helms’s vision a reality in Tulsa,” Oliver wrote. “He would be proud!”