Grant High School

The PTA Clothing Center is located at the Marshall High School campus, 3901 SE 91st Ave.

The PTA Clothing Center is located at the Marshall High School campus, 3901 SE 91st Ave.

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As the temperature drops with winter’s approach, the need for warm clothing rises. In Portland Public Schools, families that need help acquiring clothes and other essentials can turn to a long-established program.

The PTA Clothing Center has been helping PPS families since 1964. The program is run entirely by volunteers and serves more than 1,500 students each year. If you know any PPS students in need of age-appropriate clothing, please refer their families to the Center.

• Where: Room C-56 at the Marshall High School campus (3901 SE 91^st)
• When: Monday and Thursday on school days, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., September through April
• How to get started: Pick up a form at your child’s school

At no cost, PK-12 students in PPS can get new or gently-used pants, tops, sweaters, shoes, socks, underwear, coats, toiletries and personal hygiene items. Students can visit the center twice each school year – once before winter break, once after.

Families of K-8 students who would like use the service can pick up a form at their children’s school office or counselor (the form helps to confirm students as PPS attendees), and a parent or guardian needs to accompany them on their visit. High school students may shop on their own, but need to fill out the form.

The Clothing Center can accommodate 60 people each day, and customers are asked to form a line outside the center and are called in by number. Once in, each student is given three pairs of new underwear and socks, a pair of pants, shoes, a coat and two shirts. Once students have these items, they can then go to the used clothing area and pick out more items. This shopping time is excused by the school.

How you can help: The Clothing Center needs new and gently-used clothing, from sizes 4T to 4X,   that can be worn immediately and does not need to be laundered. Clothing can be donated at any PPS school; please place in bags clearly labeled “PTA Clothing Center.” The Center always needs new socks and underwear, and will soon need gloves, knit hats and other cold-weather gear.

“We’re especially in need of teen-sized cold weather coats right now,” said Sharon Meigh-Chang, PTA Clothing Center Director.

The Center also needs volunteers who can help from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. To learn more, please contact Meigh-Chang at 503-293-0783 or ptaclothingcenter@comcast.net.