Pappas Kids Schoolhouse Foundation

 

The Pappas Kids Schoolhouse Foundation
wants to reach out to all of Arizona’s homeless, underprivileged and at- risk
youth attending schools by providing the necessary tools that will help them
succeed in the classroom and at home.

As a supporting Foundation of the
Thomas J. Pappas Schools for many years, Pappas Kids provided funding that
supported the medical, hygiene, nutritional, clothing, and classroom needs of
the schools for over eight years.  Our
goal was to help students and families break the cycle of poverty.  We worked to give the students all the
necessary tools to help them become successful in the classroom, despite their
socio-economic background. 

We are now trying to serve a much
larger population of students by reaching out to all homeless, underprivileged
and at-risk youth attending school in
Arizona.  By giving these students the
opportunities they deserve and “eliminating the barriers” that childhood
homelessness and poverty creates, we hope to change the course of their
lives and they can become fully literate, productive members of our society.

While every effort
is made to create an effective classroom learning experience for the children
during the school day, students who live in economically challenged
environments require more time to catch up culturally and academically with
children who do not face the same challenges.

Providing classroom necessities such as
backpacks, pens, pencils, calculators and notebooks is only the beginning.  We are also providing excelling high school students with a laptop computer, scientific calculator and help provide
funding for their extracurricular activities, which they otherwise could not
afford.  Many studies have shown that
students who participate in afterschool activities such as sports, clubs,
student government and theatre are less likely to skip class or drop out of
school and more likely to pursue postsecondary education.

With the number of children in Arizona experiencing homelessness approaching 35,000 we know that it is necessary to give them these opportunities. The goal for 2014 is to expand our programs and assist more students who aspire to change the course of their lives for the better. With your help we’re giving students challenged by their socioeconomic backgrounds a fighting chance at breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness.