Born on January 19th, 1863, Edgar J. Helms was deeply committed to giving people a chance to learn skills and transform their lives and communities through the power of work.
Widespread unemployment and struggling families motivated Helms, a Methodist minister and early social innovator, to spark a change in Boston in the early 1900s. With humble beginnings, Helms collected clothing in need of repair and employed people to mend them for a daily wage. Goodwill was born from his philosophy and vision of “not a charity, but a chance.”
Join us in celebrating the birthday of Edgar J. Helms, and learn more about how we honor his legacy with employment support, job skills training and stable housing programs in our local community: Annual Report