Who We Are

Marvin Jones, CEO

Making Life Meaningful

 

Since 1959, the employees of this Goodwill organization have worked to provide opportunities and meaning to the lives of those with disabilities or those who face adversity in some form. While the emphasis remains to be finding meaningful jobs for most, our employees work to find ways to make life meaningful for all we serve.

We are able to do this every day because of the donations you and your neighbors bring to our stores in our eight counties. Your donations are turned into items for re-sale in our stores, on our internet sales site or recycled in other parts of the world. Profits from those sales go to further our mission of partnering with individuals with disabilities and challenges to help them lead the lives they envision.

In our services centers, we are providing opportunities to those with disabilities to get out into their communities and to experience what others take for granted. We give them an opportunity to explore potential avenues of employment or ways in which to volunteer with other organizations. We work closely with each of our county boards of developmental disabilities to ensure these individuals are receiving the services they want.

Our Workforce Development Department is accredited by a national standards organization to provide community employment services to individuals with disabilities, with those who might have had issues with drugs, with struggling veterans and with those who are trying to put a criminal history behind them. The goal for every individual is to find them long-term employment that will be meaningful to them and their employer.

This Goodwill, like all others across the nation and globe, are affiliated with Goodwill Industries International, but is governed by its own board of trustees and managed by local people. It started in 1959 as part of the Goodwill in Columbus but became a separate entity in September 1977.

Over the years, we grew from serving just Ross County to providing services and having locations in all eight of our counties: Pike, Pickaway, Jackson, Fayette, Vinton, Athens and Hocking.

Partnering with those we serve to help them lead the lives they envision is our mission.

First Chillicothe Goodwill April 1960 - boys - EDIT CROP

1959
The first Goodwill thrift store opens in Chillicothe at 21 E. Second St. providing work opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

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1963
McAllister Chevrolet donates a new truck, making it the first owned by Goodwill Chillicothe.

On the dock 1960s

1977
Goodwill Industries of South Central Ohio breaks away from Central Ohio Goodwill and incorporates under the direction of its own Board of Trustees.
The property at 457 E. Main St., Chillicothe, is deeded to the new organization and remains the center of operations.

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The new region provided workforce development services to individuals with disabilities in Athens, Hocking, Fairfield, Fayette, Jackson, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, and Vinton counties. Fairfield County was later reassigned to another Goodwill entity.

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Goodwill stores gradually opened in each county over the years.

1959: Chillicothe
1963: Jackson
1972: Circleville
1991: Waverly
2003: Washington Court House
2004: McArthur
2007: South Bloomfield
2008: Athens
2010: Logan
2016: eCommerce on ShopGoodwill

1983 groundbreaking for remodel addition

1983
A project to remodel and add more than 3,000 square feet onto the building at 457 E. Main St. receives $128,000 from the Ohio Rehabilitation and Services Council and $32,000 in matching funds from the City of Chillicothe and Ross County Commissioners. Another $24,000 was received from a federal jobs bill.

Community job placements picked up throughout the 1980s.

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1999

Organization’s workforce development program earns its first CARF accreditation.

Its community employment services were approved in 2021 for another three-year accreditation.

edited1972Buildingat457EMainSt

2006
A fire on Valentine's Day destroys the warehouse.

2006 fire

The fire prompts a tremendous community response from the region to refill the warehouse with donations.

2020 ATC offices groundbreaking

2020
After moving from its offices on Second Street, Goodwill's offices leased office space in downtown until building its new offices on Western Avenue in Chillicothe in 2020. The site once again brings together the offices with the day center program and store.

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OUR CURRENT EXECUTIVE STAFF

Marvin Jones, CEO
Mark Hughes, COO
Wanda Lanzer, CFO
Cana Horner, Missions Coordinator
Kim Hoffman, Human Resources Coordinator

OUR CURRENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Jim Hill, Chairman

Bill Beatty, Vice Chairman

Bill Knoles, Treasurer

Dave Strickland, Secretary

Kristal Spetnagel, Executive Committee

Karen McKee, Executive Committee

Heather Clark

Jan Green

Scott Nusbaum

Jamey Popp

PROUDLY CARF ACCREDITED SINCE 1999

Goodwill of South Central Ohio’s community employment services are CARF accredited. CARF provides accreditation services worldwide at the request of health and human services providers. Whether you are seeking rehabilitation for a disability, treatment for addiction and substance abuse, home and community services, retirement living, or other health and human services, CARF accreditation allows individuals to have confidence in their choice. Providers that meet CARF standards have demonstrated their commitment to being among the best available.

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