8 years ago I had a couple of
prom dresses sitting in my closet and I thought to myself, why do I have these?
What should I do with them? Then it dawned upon me. I should give them away.
There are probably girls out there like me who could not afford top of the line
dresses but still wanted to look amazing. I took the idea to my youth group
leader at Elkton United Methodist Church. She is quite possibly one of the most
p a s s i o n a t e and inspiring people I know. She of course loved the idea and brought it to life. She provided me with a space to start collecting dresses and met every girl at the church when I couldn't be there. The first year or two we had a great outpouring of donations. The dresses were beautiful but more importantly seeing the wide range of people giving so graciously was far more beautiful. We were able to help quite a bit of girls the first few years and we quickly grew. Before too long we had to move into a bigger area of the church. Not long after we moved to an off campus location and when we went back to EUMC we turned half of the basement downstairs into a full out boutique! For the last 6 years or so we have been so fortunate to have the thoughtful donation of brand new dresses from Prom Girl. There are literally $400 dresses that we are able to offer to girls for
Thanks to
the help of many people we have created a space where girls can browse hundreds
of dresses by size, style and length. We have 3 full size dressing rooms and
shelves full of handbags, shoes and jewelry. I have heard countless stories of
parents who literally prayed for a way to send their daughter to prom. I have
hugged many girls who were just so thankful that they found a dress that fit
and made them feel beautiful without a huge cost. I have seen girls come in
with the mindset that they didn't like anything and with a little guidance,
they left surprised and feeling ready for Prom! The outpouring of support and
thoughtfulness has always been a positive and inspiring part of my life. There
have been numerous people who have spent countless Saturday's organizing
dresses and helping girls. We could not have even come close to helping
hundreds of girls if it wasn't for the support of other people. This has truly
been a team effort. There were times I wasn't sure if we could continue this
outreach for many reasons but God continues to provide, therefore, I have to
continue to serve. I truly believe that giving to others is part of my purpose
and blesses me more than I think those families could ever imagine.
______________________________________________<3_________________________________________________
To all of
the girls who have so willingly sacrificed your time and talent to this little
boutique- Thank you! I love all of you and the hearts that you possess. I'm
blessed to know you.
(A.F.,
T.C., K.H., B.L., A.W., A.G.,)
To the
women in my life who helped to bring a simple idea to life. You've inspired me
and your heart for serving the Lord reminds me why we are asked to bless
others. We are so lucky to have you <3
______________________________________________<3________________________________________________
Even
though we still have hundreds of dresses available to choose from, we
unfortunately, lose a lot of great dresses each year. We have not received
nearly as many dresses back as we have given. If you can, please return what
you take. Not for me, but for the future girls who deserve a chance to wear the
perfect dress to prom. While prom might seem like a minor detail to some, it is
a big deal to a teenage girl. Every girl deserves a chance to experience an
event so exclusive to their high school experience. Every girl deserves the
opportunity if they want to. We are always accepting donations at Elkton United
Methodist Church or feel free to message us on our Facebook page!
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