Local History

In 1952, Goodwill was brought to St. Petersburg, by a local resident, who was concerned about people with disabilities in the community. It was called Goodwill-Suncoast and it grew to be the largest Goodwill in the world, with branches in Tallahassee, Orlando, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Lakeland, and Fort Myers. The first Goodwill outlet in Southwest Florida was a store, which opened in Fort Myers in 1959. By 1966, several local businessmen, led by Fort Myers News-Press editor, Chesley Perry, had rallied to the Goodwill cause. Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida was incorporated in May of 1966 and continued to operate as a branch of Suncoast until 1982, when it was granted autonomy.

Today, Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. employs over 345 people, has 22 Retail & Donations Centers throughout the five county area, and has several Career Development Service programs designed to help people with disabilities and other disadvantages overcome barriers to employment and independence.