TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — By 11:30 Tuesday morning, school nurses and social workers from all over the Amphitheater Unified District were packed into the Amphi Foundation Clothing Bank.
They were there picking up back-to-school kits for their low-income students. The kits include items like deodorant, shampoo, lip balm and more.
The clothing bank, established in 1983, collects new or lightly used donations from the community that will go to families who can't afford clothing, shoes, school supplies and care products.
Executive Director Tim Kromer says school advocates experience the need for items like these first-hand.
“The nurses are oftentimes the frontline for knowing if a child needs new clothes or new shoes," he said. "And they can refer them to the Amphi Foundation Clothing Bank so that those kiddos can get the clothes or the shoes that they need—either right to the school or their families can come here and pick out clothing, kind of like a shopping experience for them.”
Students and their families are allowed to take home donations up to four times per year, grabbing 25-30 items—and at least one pair of shoes—for each child. The organization recognizes that some clothes will only fit for a few months as students grow.
Each year, the Amphi distributes over 30,000 clothing items with the help of volunteers.
Christina Neubauer is a school nurse at Amphi Middle School who says she refers her students to the clothing bank all the time.
“We have a large refugee population at Amphi Middle School so there’s a lot of need for…whether it's hygiene products and clothing. So, it’s a just a tremendous resource to our community," she said.
Many of the families within the school district qualify for government assistance programs, like food stamps, but they don't cover the cost hygiene products.
Kromer said that's why these kits and clothing are so instrumental to student success — they are getting the basic necessities as well as a confidence boost.
“Study after study shows that students who have comfortable, stylish, well-fitting clothes are more excited to go to school, they are more excited to make friends at school and they have a better chance at achieving academic success.”
Yemen Bernal, a social worker at Prince Elementary School says she's seen how much of a positive impact the Amphi Foundation has had on her kids.
"We have had kids come into school the next day and make an intentional trip to a favorite teacher or a staff person to show them their shoes or show them their pants because they’re so excited to have new things on that they’re proud of," she said. "And that’s really nice to see.”
Mikenzie Hammel joined the KGUN 9 team as a multimedia journalist in the summer of 2023. She graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism with her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. With her passion for human connection and visual storytelling, Mikenzie is honored to share the stories of Tucson and southeastern Arizona. Share your story ideas and important issues with Mikenzie by emailing mikenzie.hammel@kgun9.com.
