Good Will Hinckley

The mission of GWH may sound simple…to provide a home, educational opportunities, and a supportive environment to youth, families, and the communities we serve that need a helping hand. In today’s landscape of children’s behavioral health, however, the work we do has never been more challenging or important. As a child, GW Hinckley witnessed another boy’s arrest for reaching into a working man’s dinner pail. He was dumbfounded and asked himself why no one had noticed that the young boy had been without food for three consecutive days. He was not a criminal; he was simply hungry. At that point, GW vowed to come to the aid of young boys in a similar plight. He would build a house—houses—and provide homes for those in need. GW was a spiritual man and an impressive preacher who longed to become a minister. His work with a Sunday school brought him to Maine, where he became determined to build a home for needy boys. Farming also was important to GW, and in searching for a spot for this home, he found an ideal location in a Fairfield, Maine farm owned by the family of former Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith. Good Will Farm, as it is known, was and still is the cornerstone of the Good Will-Hinckley Home for Boys and Girls.