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It will require the development of an industrial and marketing program in the manufacture of new goods, and securing sub-contracts from industry. This is necessary to provide training opportunities at operations necessary to prepare handicapped persons for competitive employment, and will provide a maximum of repetitive operations, so that the more severely handicapped may be regularly and productively employed within the Goodwill Industries.

It will require improvements in the techniques of management in Goodwill Industries, and an enlargement of public interest in the work of these enterprises, to the end that increased resources may be made available and the value of those resources multiplied in service to the handicapped.

Establishing New Goodwills

It means that new Goodwill Industries must be established in a number of additional centers throughout the United States, and that the specialized leadership required, both in the new Industries and in many staff positions in existing Industries, must be secured and given specialized orientation training in Goodwill Industries techniques.

The purpose of the National Association of Goodwill Industries is to encourage the establishment and development in various centers of Goodwill Industries for the religious, cultural, educational, social, industrial, and economic welfare of the handicapped and disabled.

To the end that this purpose may be realized, the Association establishes standards for the operation and service of local Goodwill Industries, assists them to attain and maintain standards, develops operating methods, techniques, and procedures, counsels local organizations in operation, trains leadership, conducts conferences and institutes, promotes the work of Goodwill Industries on a national basis, and represents local organizations and the movement in relation to and with other national agencies and groups.

The Task Ahead. . .

SINCE the inception of the Goodwill Industries movement, most of the service rendered by the national office has been through the use of local executives who served in the national program on a voluntary basis, with only expense allowance. During 1944, arrangements were made for the executive secretary to serve full-time and for the development of a full-time staff. Already some members of this staff have been secured and are at work.

National Association At Work

Specifically, services of the National Association include the general information, promotion, and public relation services on a national level; the recruiting and training of executive and staff leadership for local organizations; the development of cooperative purchasing, marketing and other services for local agencies; the counseling of local Goodwill Industries in problems of organization, management, rehabilitation, training, social work, spiritual guidance, promotion, industrial operation, merchandising, use of plant facilities, and other activities; extension of Goodwill Industries into new centers.

The National Association has been of especial assistance to local Goodwill Industries, as it has represented them in relation to governmental and other agencies in the planning on the national level for campaigns of various kinds which might have an adverse effect upon resources of material available to them. It has also represented local organizations on a national level in the development of service programs for the handicapped so that as those programs reached the local level the way was paved for participation by local Goodwill Industries and the use of their services as part of the total community plan in serving the handicapped and disabled.

The initial development of Goodwill Industries movement on a national scale was made possible through incentive appropriations in excess of one million dollars being made to local Goodwill Industries by the Board of Home Missions and Church Extension of the Methodist Church immediately following World War I. Through the years since that time this board has continued its interest and assistance. Goodwill Industries, in their development and expansion since that time, have commanded the interest, the respect, and the support of persons of all denominations. They minister to persons regardless of creed. In almost every city, members of several denominations share in the management of the local Industries through membership on its governing board.

Appropriations Provided Incentive

In connection with its present Crusade for Christ and the development of its reconstruction and postwar program, the Methodist Church has provided for substantial incentive appropriations to be made available to assist in the establishment of autonomous Goodwill Industries in at least fifteen new metropolitan centers in the United States. Close cooperation of this Department of Goodwill Industries of the Methodist Church with the National Association of Goodwill Industries will make it possible for those incentive appropriations to be so used as to accomplish a maximum of development in a minimum of time.