Prom Closet preps for fifth year

When high school senior Beth Smith walked into the St. Andrew United Methodist Church Prom Closet last year, she was expecting to see maybe 50 dresses in thrift-store condition.

Instead, she entered a large room at the church that had been transformed into something like a boutique, with about 1,200 dresses and accessories such as jewelry, handbags and shoes. It even had closed-off dressing rooms and volunteers to help girls like Beth pick out items.

"Everything was very organized, even to the including of several floor-length mirrors scattered throughout the dressing room area," she said. "... The ladies who were helping us girls were very kind and attentive, and stuck with us until we found the perfect dress."

Prom Closet will return to the church beginning April 2. The annual event offers girls who cannot afford prom accessories a free dress and other items. No pre-registration or paperwork is necessary: The girls only need to show up and sign in with their name and school.

While Beth ultimately was not able to go to prom -- she wore the dress to a dinner party instead -- her mother, Connie Smith, was sufficiently inspired by their experience to volunteer for Prom Closet this year.

"What impressed me about the event was the attention to details," Connie said. "Nothing had been overlooked. Each girl had her own personal shopper that stayed with her until she had her complete outfit put together including dress, shoes, purse and jewelry."

Connie is currently helping the event gear up for its first day of "business," sorting clothes and accessories and keeping an eye out for any needed repairs.

"It was so much fun to hear all the sounds of 'ooh' and [the] 'ahs,' with much giggles and laughter," Connie said, recalling last year's event. "It was inspiring to see so many girls arriving with their moms and leaving with a beautiful outfit. I am sure many of the girls that came would not be able to afford the quality of dress and accessories that were available to them."

The first Prom Closet was held five years ago. Last year, the event drew 200 girls from 70 schools, with about 100 volunteers working from January to April to make it happen.

"It started out being a small mission project for the ladies group for the church, and it actually has grown into a community project, and we are so excited that has happened," said Devra Helffrich, an organizer behind the event. "That's what we want to happen. It's not just for our church, it's for the community; not just the Plano community, but the entire Dallas-Fort Worth community."

While the formal donation period is in February, the increasing level of support has caused the church to start taking donations year-round, many of which come from cities outside of Plano. This year, more than 1,500 dresses in sizes 0 to 22 will be made available, many of which are brand-new.

"These dresses that are donated can be quite beautiful gowns, and it would be a dress that they would never imagine they might be wearing to their prom," said Jane Marshall, another organizer for Prom Closet. "They feel like the belle of the ball, the princess, and that's our intention with Prom Closet."

Prom Closet will be open from April 2-4 and on April 6. For hours, parking information and how to volunteer or donate, visit standrewumc.org and click "Events and Registration." No appointment is necessary for students wishing to shop.

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