For 60 years, Goodwill has played an impactful role, fulfilling our mission by providing Albertans with disabilities or barriers to employment the opportunity to enhance their lives through the power of work and the dignity of a job.
We are, in part, a non-profit thrift retailer, but our mission and purpose go much further. Constantly working to be a leader in both social and environmental initiatives, we live up to our core purpose of “Impacting People and the Planet for an Amazing Alberta.”
Goodwill Industries of Alberta strives to be an innovative social enterprise that integrates sustainability with a culture of shared responsibility. We support the community through programs such as Goodwill@Work, which provides employment to individuals with disabilities while diverting items from the landfill. This includes our flagship product, Cleaning Cloths, which are made from towels that have not been sold in our retail stores. The Repair for Good program involves our team repairing and upcycling damaged and unsold furniture that has been donated. Through Repurpose by GW, unsold denim is upcycled by a team of individuals with disabilities into reusable tote bags and aprons.
Goodwill focuses on impacting people and the planet by providing employment programs and sustainability initiatives that repurpose unsold items, helping us to divert 88% of donated items from landfills. By approaching our industry through the lens of sustainability and inclusivity, we help make Alberta a better place by providing opportunities for those with barriers to employment while focusing on a circular economy.
In the spirit of respect, reciprocity, and truth, we acknowledge that we live, work, and gather on the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7, including the Blackfoot Confederacy—comprising the Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani Nations—as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina Nations.
This land, known as Moh’kinsstis in the Blackfoot language and encompassing what is now Districts 5 and 6, is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3, within the historical Northwest Métis homeland.
We recognize and honour the deep connection these Nations have to the land, and we are grateful for the opportunity to share in its stewardship.
As we continue our work, we commit to learning from Indigenous knowledge systems, uplifting Indigenous voices, and fostering relationships rooted in equity, understanding, and reconciliation.
