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Program provides prom dresses to cash-strapped students

 


Program provides prom dresses to cash-strapped students

LINK: Click to open full size version of image
A UMNS photo by Charles Hadlock

Makeda Nash tries on a prom dress at Union Ridge United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C.
April 15, 2005

By John Gordon*

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (UMNS)—Teenagers dream for years about going to the high-school prom. So a North Carolina church wants to make sure costs don’t get in the way of that magical evening.

The Blessed Dressed ministry at Union Ridge United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem lets students choose from hundreds of prom dresses at no charge—a real blessing for parents facing college costs and other expenses.

"It’s a special day, but at the same time, it’s one of those days that we cannot afford to pay out a lot of money for," said Winston-Salem resident Ronda Mays, a single parent with two daughters. "Because we have to put the deposit down for the dorm room, we have to get things for the dormitory."

The idea came from Shannon Davis. Her mother, the Rev. Cathy Davis, is the pastor at Union Ridge United Methodist Church.

Shannon was a junior in high school when she found many of her classmates were not going to the prom because formal dresses can cost hundreds of dollars each. She began seeking donations of dresses from church members, clothing stores and others in the community.

LINK: Click to open full size version of image
A UMNS photo by Charles Hadlock

Shannon Davis says everyone should be able to go to the prom. She started a church program to provide free formals for students.
"A lot of parents are getting laid off," she noted. "I don’t think that girls should miss out or anybody should miss out because they can’t afford to go. That’s not fair."

Since the program started three years ago, members have renovated the third floor of the church for Shannon’s Closet, with storage and shopping areas as well as fitting rooms.

"It’s like a dream come true," said Lisa Mickle, a 17-year-old high-school senior who found her prom dress at the church. "It’s like a queen at night. You get treated like a princess."

Her sister, Leslie Mickle, admits to being "very picky"—but also found a dress on one of the church’s two shopping days during prom season.

"Without this program, I probably wouldn’t go to the prom," she said. "Because dresses are too expensive, and you can’t find your size and you can’t usually find something that you like."

The church even has an on-site seamstress, Ann Patterson, who makes sure the dresses fit just right.

"People that get the most blessings here are the workers," Patterson said. "We’re having more fun than the kids, if that’s possible."

While shoppers look through racks of colorful dresses, one thing they will not find is red tape. There are no restrictions on who receives the dresses.

"We don’t say, ‘You have to make less than this,’ or whatever," Davis said. "We just say, ‘If you need something, come, we’ll provide it for you.’"

The Blessed Dressed ministry furnishes prom dresses to more than 50 girls each year. More than 300 dresses are on the racks—some used, repaired and cleaned, others new. Some are even handmade.

LINK: Click to open full size version of image
A UMNS photo by Charles Hadlock

Ronda Mays (left) and her daughter, LaRonda, appreciate the chance to save money by choosing a free prom dress at Union Ridge United Methodist Church.
"There are tears of joy," Davis said. "One mother told us last year she had a junior and a senior, and she said, ‘Without this, my girls would not be able to attend prom.’"

Besides the dresses, students can choose one accessory such as jewelry, shoes or a shawl. Several businesses provide free dry-cleaning services for the dresses. Restaurants also donate prom-night meals, which are given away in a drawing.

Church members encourage the girls to behave responsibly on prom night. The girls receive crosses made of ribbon to keep with them.

"I like this program; it really helps out a lot," said Devonia Wilks, an 18-year-old high-school junior. "And it saves a bunch of money."

Shannon Davis said the prom-dress ministry she started has become an important outreach—for the community as well as the church.

"The church needed a ministry … and they seemed to catch on to it and run with it," she said. "It was a need in the community and I felt like if you see a problem, it’s not going to get solved unless you help solve it."

*Gordon is a freelance producer and writer in Marshall, Texas.

News media contact: Fran Walsh, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

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