Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay

Our mission is to turn donations into jobs – offering lifetime purpose and opportunity. Everyone has the opportunity to discover their full potential and purpose, empowering them to reach financial independence and become productive members of our community. “Good-Will” Missions of Oakland was started in Oakland’s red-light district in October of 1919 by Reverend Samual Quickmire, his wife Edith, and Methodist Episcopal Church Board of Home Missions. We opened the doors of our first store in 1920 after the San Francisco earthquake. The goods sold were in such high demand that by the end of the year we'd expanded to two more locations. The headquarters moved to Oakland’s Fruitvale district of Oakland in 1956. In 1971, we were renamed Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay, and encompassed Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano Counties. Today, Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay boasts 28 stores, three warehouses, seven job placement centers, e-commerce, and a college. Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay provides workforce development services, including transitional employment, job readiness training, and placement services to people facing barriers to employment in the counties we serve. Many Goodwill participants face multiple challenges such as a lack of work history, limited education and language skills, a history of incarceration, multi-generational poverty, chronic homelessness, and disabilities.