Program provides prom dresses to cash-strapped students
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A UMNS photo by Charles Hadlock Makeda Nash tries on a prom dress at Union Ridge United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C.
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High
school student Makeda Nash tries on a prom dress at Union Ridge United
Methodist Church. Nash is a senior at Parkland High School in
Winston-Salem. The �Blessed Dressed� ministry at the Winston-Salem
church lets students choose from hundreds of prom dresses at no charge. A
UMNS photo by Charles Hadlock. Photo #05-299. Accompanies UMNS story
#228, 4/15/05 |
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.
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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.
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Shannon
Davis came up with the idea of offering free prom dresses to students
in the Winston-Salem, N.C., area. �A lot of parents are getting laid
off,� she said. �I don�t think �anybody should miss out because they
can�t afford to go. That�s not fair.� The ministry at Union Ridge United
Methodist Church furnishes prom dresses to more than 50 girls each
year. A UMNS photo by Charles Hadlock. Photo #05-300. Accompanies UMNS
story #228, 4/15/05 |
"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.
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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.
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Ronda
Mays (left) and her daughter, LaRonda Mays-Soles, appreciate the chance
to save money by choosing a free prom dress at Union Ridge United
Methodist Church. The ministry at the Winston-Salem, N.C., church
furnishes prom dresses to more than 50 girls each year. A UMNS photo by
Charles Hadlock. Photo #05-301. Accompanies UMNS story #228, 4/15/05 |
"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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