Editor’s Note: This continues our Celebrate Community series on nonprofit Santa Rosa County organizations that improve residents’ quality of life.
PACE — Goodwill Easterseals of the Gulf Coast’s most noticeable representation may be its thrift store, like the one in Pace at 4325 Woodbine Road, but the organization provides myriad services for children, veterans, at-risk youths and others.
The nonprofit organization is a hybrid of two organizations. Its website, www.gesgc.org, describes the history, starting with Boston Rev. Edgar J. Helms’ founding Goodwill in 1902.
"Helms … went to seminary and became a Methodist preacher,” Frank Harkins, president and CEO of Goodwill Easterseals of the Gulf Coast, said. “He wanted to become a missionary, but he was assigned to a church in the suburbs of Boston called Morgan Memorial. That portion of the suburbs was a … poor side of town. There were many immigrants with disabilities. Some couldn't speak English. Life was rough for people of this area. He was a believer in Jesus and wanted to treat everyone with love, dignity and respect."
"Helms collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier areas of the city, then trained and hired those who were poor to mend and repair the used goods. The goods were then resold or were given to the people who repaired them," the site states.
Ohio businessman Edgar Allen "lost his son in a streetcar accident. The lack of adequate medical services available to save his son prompted Allen to sell his business and begin a fundraising campaign to build a hospital in his hometown. Through this new hospital, Allen was surprised to learn children with disabilities were often hidden from public view. Inspired by this discovery, in 1919 Allen founded what became known as the National Society for Crippled Children, the first organization of its kind," the site states.
"In the spring of 1934, the organization launched its first Easter 'seals' campaign to raise money for its services. To show their support, donors placed the seals on envelopes and letters." However, it wasn't until 1967 the Easter seals became so well known the organization officially changed its name to Easterseals," the site states.
In 1999, Goodwill and Easterseals on the Gulf Coast merged and the resulting entity is headquartered in Mobile, Alabama. Harkins said this was the most recent merger in the nation following a trend of other Goodwill and Easterseals organizations doing the same.
Harkins described some of the organization’s services:
- “We help people find jobs inside and outside the thrift store, which helps around 500 people with and without disabilities.”
- “We work with military and veterans who move into the community who may have a child with a disability. We help them find services.”
- “We also do respite care for people who are injured or family members who need a caregiver to watch a loved one while they go shopping … (but) that one is exclusively for the military.”
- “We do provide medical equipment … for folks that need wheelchairs and walkers, bedside commodes, and orthopedic supplies. We assist in purchasing new or providing refurbished equipment. We get a lot donated in stores. It's mostly durable medical orthopedic equipment but it's not restricted to that. We used to do quite a bit but we outrun the resources available. We would do some (diabetic test) strips, but those got so many requests we couldn't honor all of them.”
- “For our youth services … we partner with vocational rehab. We also serve youth in trouble with the law and we're trying to help them get out with some skill sets to be successful. There have been some big turnarounds for some of them.”
- “We collect a lot of winter coats, about 200, and give them to different homeless shelters in each community we serve.”
- “A big program we have is VITA, volunteer income tax assistance. (It's existed) nine years now in the Gulf Coast area. Staff and community volunteers we train to properly do taxes for free. This past year, over 1,000 families received over $1 (million) in returns. These were low- to medium-income folks (who) didn't have to pay tax preparers.”
- “Our financial literacy programs (teach) budgeting, credit and more.”
Harkins said, "In the Florida area, we do not provide as many children services as in Alabama simply because in Florida (other providers) are already doing it. There's no need for us to try to compete with them."
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Goodwill Easterseals more than just a thrift store