We had the good fortune of connecting with Shay Gipson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shay, how does your business help the community?
Goodwill is more than a thrift store. The largest employer of people with disabilities in the world, Goodwill provides education, training and job placement and believes that it’s worth celebrating!

Goodwill North Central Texas is based in Fort Worth and serves 18 counties in the region. The nonprofit’s 26 area retail locations provide revenue through the sale of donated goods to support Goodwill’s mission to CREATE lives of independence and BUILD a stronger local community. Education, training and job placement programs for individuals with disabilities, the formerly incarcerated, at-risk youth, our veterans and people experiencing homelessness are guided by the organization’s vision of a North Central Texas where every person has the opportunity for maximum independence and abundant living. For more information, please visit www.GoodwillNorthCentralTexas.org.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Founded in October 1949 as the 100th Goodwill organization in the United States, Goodwill North Central Texas was established by a group of Fort Worth businessmen, led by Everton O. Dibb, with a startup fund of $10,000 and the support of Amon Carter. What began with providing employment opportunities for 53 individuals with disabilities in its first year has evolved into an organization that, in 2023 alone, served nearly 12,000 people, including veterans, at-risk youth, and those experiencing homelessness or reentering society after incarceration.

Goodwill’s history of service to the North Texas community is one of innovation and growth. From launching educational programs in 1961 to opening a state-of-the-art headquarters on Campus Drive in 2001, the organization has continuously expanded its reach to offer 27 education, training, and job placement programs across 18 counties. Partnerships with local nonprofits, businesses, and community leaders have been essential to Goodwill’s ongoing success.

“Partnerships with local nonprofits, businesses, and community leaders have been essential to Goodwill’s ongoing success,” said David Cox, President & CEO of Goodwill North Central Texas. “We are honored to celebrate this milestone with the community that has supported us for 75 years. This anniversary is not just a reflection of our past achievements, but a celebration of the thousands of lives we continue to transform through the Power of Work.”

Founded in October 1949 as the 100th Goodwill organization in the United States, Goodwill North Central Texas was established by a group of Fort Worth businessmen, led by Everton O. Dibb, with a startup fund of $10,000 and the support of Amon Carter. What began with providing employment opportunities for 53 individuals with disabilities in its first year has evolved into an organization that, in 2023 alone, served nearly 12,000 people, including veterans, at-risk youth, and those experiencing homelessness or reentering society after incarceration.

Goodwill’s history of service to the North Texas community is one of innovation and growth. From launching educational programs in 1961 to opening a state-of-the-art headquarters on Campus Drive in 2001, the organization has continuously expanded its reach to offer 27 education, training, and job placement programs across 18 counties. Partnerships with local nonprofits, businesses, and community leaders have been essential to Goodwill’s ongoing success.

“Partnerships with local nonprofits, businesses, and community leaders have been essential to Goodwill’s ongoing success,” said David Cox, President & CEO of Goodwill North Central Texas. “We are honored to celebrate this milestone with the community that has supported us for 75 years. This anniversary is not just a reflection of our past achievements, but a celebration of the thousands of lives we continue to transform through the Power of Work.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We’d start with a shopping spree at Goodwill North Central Texas stores to find unique thrifted treasures and vintage fashion pieces. Afterward, we’d head to the Fort Worth Stockyards for a taste of Texas history, rodeos, and live music. We’d explore Sundance Square for dining, drinks, and entertainment, then visit the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth for a dose of culture. For outdoor fun, we’d spend a day at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and Trinity Park, enjoying the trails and scenery. To cap off the week, we’d grab dinner at Joe T. Garcia’s for Tex-Mex and finish with drinks at the rooftop bar at Reata Restaurant for stunning city views. Fort Worth offers something for everyone—history, art, nature, and, of course, fantastic thrifting!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Goodwill North Central Texas marked its 75th anniversary with a special event on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at the Fort Worth Club, celebrating decades of life-changing impact and community service. The event brought together more than 300 guests, including City and County Leaders and Congressional Representatives, as well as former board members, staff, and longstanding community partners, to honor the organization’s legacy of providing education, training and job placement to individuals with barriers to employment.

Three standout honorees received top recognition, the President’s Award, for their dedication to Goodwill’s mission at the 75th event:
• Bernard Kern, former Executive Director (1988-1999), was celebrated for his visionary leadership, which transformed Goodwill North Central Texas through expansions, a successful $6 million capital campaign and the acquisition of a 17-acre property for a regional warehouse and program campus.
• Kelly Allen Gray, former Fort Worth City Council member and current Executive Director of the AIDS Outreach Center, was honored for her leadership of key fundraising initiatives, including Project Goodwill and the Virtual Bike Ride during the pandemic, as well as her ongoing work connecting Goodwill’s services to vulnerable communities.
• Hadley Woerner, Tarrant Region President of Frost Bank, was recognized for over 20 years of dedication to Goodwill. Frost Bank’s financial support, particularly as a longstanding sponsor of the Goodwill Classic, has helped foster impactful community partnerships and increased financial resources for Goodwill’s programs.

The evening featured powerful testimonials from Goodwill’s President’s Award winners, as they shared their personal stories of transformation through Goodwill’s programs. Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks and Fort Worth City Council Member Jeanette Martinez presented proclamations commemorating the organization’s profound impact on the community since its founding in 1949.

For more information on the event and a full list of honorees, please visit www.goodwillnorthcentraltexas.org/75.

Website: https://www.goodwillnorthcentraltexas.org

Instagram: @goodwillnct

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/102465

Twitter: @goodwillnct

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodwillnct

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodwillnct

Image Credits
Sharon Ellman

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