In the late 1890s, Methodist minister Edgar J. Helms, pastor of Morgan Chapel in Boston's South End, found innovative ways to help his community's immigrant, jobless poor. His church's "industrial school" offered skills training; a rudimentary job placement service was developed in 1896. Later, when the support of wealthy Bostonians waned during the Spanish-American War, Helms took a burlap bag and went door to door, asking his affluent neighbors for clothing and anything else he could carry away. Impoverished men and women were paid to repair and refurbish the donated materials, which then were sold. The income from the sale of these items was used to pay the workers' wages.

In 1902, a new facility was built on the site of the demolished Morgan Chapel. It was here at the new Morgan Memorial Chapel that Goodwill Industries was truly born. It was the first "Goodwill Industries" operation, although it was named Morgan Memorial Cooperative Industries and Stores, Inc. by Rev. Helms. The words "Goodwill Industries" were first used in Brooklyn, N.Y., by a group that had adopted Morgan Memorial's methods of operation. Helms would later decide that it was a more appropriate choice than the cumbersome name he had incorporated. The Goodwill Industries concept spread across the country.

Goodwill Industries of South Central California is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization established to provide employment and employment-related services for people with disabilities and other special needs and to assist these individuals to become more independent and self-sufficient. Goodwill serves the Central California counties of Kern, Kings, and southern Tulare. Goodwill operates eleven retail thrift stores in Kern County. The store proceeds go directly to support Goodwill services and programs.

Goodwill first came to Kern County as an extension of Goodwill Industries of Southern California (Los Angeles) and in 1986 became an autonomous entity that focused its efforts directly on the needs of local residents. The organization's primary goal is to serve individuals with barriers to employment. These barriers include, but are not limited to, disabilities, limited work history, limited English-speaking, lack of job skills, and basic skills deficiencies. Goodwill is accredited by the Bureau of Private-Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE)and by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). As of December 31, 2009, Goodwill Industries of South Central California employs 252 individuals.