HEREABOUTS virginia burroughs
Prom season is under way and, thanks to a recent project by Clothes That Work, more than 100 area teens who might not have had a gown for this year’s prom will be dancing the night away in Cinderella fashion.
Usually, Clothes That Work dresses men and women for job interviews and, for those successful in their search, for a few months on the job. But, this year, they started The Fairy Godmother Project, offering dresses for teens for their most memorable high school occasions.
“This was our first year, although we’d talked about it at various times over the years,” said Lindsay Ackley, associate executive director of Clothes That Work. “This year, we had the opportunity to do a project with Disney on Ice, and that partnership got it off the ground. We were able to give free tickets to anyone who donated homecoming dresses.
“We did it as a confidence builder for girls, but found that it also affected parents, who came back to share with us how important it was for their girls. It turned into a project for girls and parents who couldn’t afford homecoming dresses.” Ackley particularly recalls a father who had lost his job and was very moved by the project, which gave his daughter a dress he couldn’t provide.
Following the success of the homecoming dress giveaway, the Fairy Godmother Project began collecting prom dresses.
“We received more than 400 dresses,” said Ackley. “Some were from girls who brought in dresses they had used last year, but that no longer fit.”
Melanie Tullis, director of operations for the organization, coordinated the prom project.
On March 13, the prom dress giveaway was held at the Clothes That Work Office at the Job Center, 1133 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd.
“”We had lots of volunteers on hand to help the girls find just the right dress, give opinions and compliments, and helped them select accessories,” Ackley said.
Clothes That Work got the word out through their partnering organizations and schools. Although most of the girls were from Dayton, many came from Miamisburg and one came from as far away as Springfield to participate in the event. A few girls only heard about the giveaway afterwards, when friends or relatives told them about it. A few who went in to the offices afterwards were also fitted with gowns.
The group donated 100 “leftover” dresses to a project in Springfield that was also giving away prom dresses.
“We were very happy with the results, and plan to continue the program,” Ackley said.
The goal of Clothes That Work is to “empower job seekers with clothing, education and confidence,” Ackley said. “We serve men, women and older teens who are referred from our partner agencies.”
The group prepares clients for job interviews, and has served more than 16,000 clients, who can come back for work clothes once they’ve secured a job, since 1998.
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