"Fill the Pappas Gap"

Please donate your “gently” used children’s clothes Kindergarten through 6th grade Jeans, pants, shirts, skirts, pajamas, winter hats, winter gloves, winter jackets, sweatshirts, sweatpants, shoes, belts, hair ties, new socks, new underwear (boxers for the boys), new bras. Our goal is to provide at least one "gently used" complete outfit for each of the children at the Pappas School in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1989, a group of Phoenix firefighters arranged for 8 homeless children to attend a tutoring class in a local shelter. From there they moved to a nearby hotel. It soon became obvious that there were many more homeless children not in school. City leaders called Dr. Sandra E. Dowling, the Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools, to see if she could develop this small program into a school. In 1990, Dr. Dowling founded the Thomas J. Pappas School for children of homeless families. An old car dealership was renovated and became the building for the first school. In 1997, the current Thomas J. Pappas Elementary School was built. It now houses Kindergarten through 5th Grade. There is also a Head Start program operating on campus. The old location is now the Thomas J. Pappas Middle School, and houses Grades 6 through 9 and High School, Grades 10 through 12. ~ At the end of the day Pappas children are bused back "home". Sometimes the family's location has changed by the end of the school day, requiring the Outreach Department of the Pappas schools to make sure each child returns safely to their current nighttime residence. The following morning, we start all over again. We are only able to provide all of these services with the generous support of our donors.