SAN ANTONIO – For more than a decade, one local nonprofit has supplied teenagers with dresses, suits, shoes, purses and accessories for prom.
Project Prom Dress said that this year, they need some help to continue that mission.
Ashley Johnson, a mother of teens herself, founded the nonprofit with her husband in 2014.
“I’m from a single-parent home,” founder Ashley Johnson said. “I had to work my senior year of high school to pay for all my prom expenses.”
“I thought there’s so many women that have a dress that either they wore once or not at all and its just sitting in the closet,” Johnson continued.
Located on Donaldson Avenue across from Jefferson High School, Project Prom Dress is full of racks with new and used formal wear for teens in need.
The nonprofit said it still needs more XL and plus-sized dresses. It also needs men’s formal wear in all sizes.
“I always joke that the men don’t want to give up their suits,” Johnson said.
Project Prom Dress also said it is seeking monetary donations to help teens prepare for the big dance.
“We can also acquire items such as care packages with toiletries for the kids. So not only do they look good but they smell good, feel good,” said Johnson. “And then we can obtain gift cards for different places such as Ross, K&G for items we may not have for big and tall, plus sizes, extended size shoes as well.”
Project Prom Dress outfits nearly 200 to 250 teenagers each year, not just for prom but also homecoming dances, military balls and other formal occasions.
“I don’t turn anyone away,” Johnson said. “Every kid deserves to go to prom.”
To learn more about how to support Project Prom Dress, or make a shopping appointment, click here to check out their website.
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