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Goodwill Week: Celebrating the Good

Every year during the first full week of May, Goodwill organizations across the U.S. and Canada celebrate Goodwill Week. For Goodwill Northern New England, it’s a moment to recognize what over 90 years of community investment makes possible: real opportunity, real change, because donors, shoppers, partners, and neighbors across Maine, New Hampshire, and northern Vermont showed up. 

A Local Mission with Deep Roots

Goodwill’s story in Northern New England began in 1933, when Reverend Frederick Olsen opened our doors in Portland, Maine. As a local nonprofit, we have always been rooted in and shaped by the communities we serve across Maine, New Hampshire, and northern Vermont. Every donated item and every purchase at our stores helps fund workforce programs that help people build skills, confidence, and momentum toward their goals.

Real People. Real Change. Right Here.

Each year, thousands of people across Maine, New Hampshire, and northern Vermont connect with Goodwill Northern New England for workforce support. Some are stepping into their very first job. Others are switching careers, reentering the workforce after time away, or navigating whatever life brings. Whatever brings someone to us, we meet them where they are, pairing them with career advisors, life navigators, and the practical support they need to move forward. 

Our retail stores are a vital part of how this works. Every donation and every purchase helps fund the workforce programs and support services that make this possible, while also creating quality jobs, free support resources for our own team members, and keeping millions of pounds of goods out of local landfills every year. 

How You Can Be Part of It

Goodwill Week is a chance to show up for your community. Here are some of the ways you can help: 

This week and every week, thank you for making it possible.  
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