Volunteer Opportunity: Prom Closet

 

Prom Closet, established by the Women of St. Andrew, was created to offer a special shopping experience for young ladies who are unable to afford a prom dress due to financial constraints. The closet provides free prom dresses (sizes 0-30) and accessories like jewelry, shoes, handbags, and wraps.

Prom Closet relies on volunteers. 

Help prom dreams come true and volunteer today!

Register to Volunteer: Sign Up Here

Volunteer Job Descriptions & Availability: Click Here

Prom Closet - St. Andrew Methodist Church

St. Andrew Prom Closet - Donations & Volunteers Needed

 The fairy godmothers of The St. Andrew Prom Closet announce that the 16^th Annual Prom Closet is scheduled for Feb. 18-20 and 22 and Feb. 24 – March 1, 2025, at St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano. Girls from ANYWHERE in need of a prom dress are invited to come select a dress and accessories - all at no cost. 

Donations of dresses (sizes 0-30), jewelry, shoes, handbags, and wraps are needed.

“This month we begin asking for the community’s help in providing donations of dresses and accessories,” said Devra Helffrich, a founder of the St. Andrew Prom Closet, which was created to provide a unique shopping experience for young ladies who because of finances would be unable to attend prom. “Start the New Year with a clean closet and bring us your gently used dresses as well as shoes, jewelry, and handbags! We also have an option to purchase items for the girls through our Amazon shopping link, which will be on the Prom Closet website. Each year, we depend on donations from individuals, local groups and businesses to provide the many items needed to complete each girl’s prom ensemble.”

For shoppers, appointments are required to improve the overall experience and minimize wait times. Online registration for shoppers as well as volunteers begins Jan. 23. Visit standrewmethodist.org/prom closet. Each shopper must be present to select her own dress and accessories and may have one guest, age 16 or older. A volunteer will assist each girl throughout the process, and there will be 40 shopping spots per each 90-minute time slot.

Prom Closet, a service of the St. Andrew Methodist Women, provides prom attire to approximately 1,000 high school girls each year. While the need is great, the impact the dress makes on the girl and her family is immeasurable. When Prom Closet first began in 2009, 35 girls from local high schools received dresses and accessories. In 2024, 1,073 girls from 213 schools and 103 school districts received dresses and accessories. Over the years, Prom Closet has welcomed girls from across Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma as well as exchange students from Germany, Poland, Switzerland, and Thailand. A total of 941 volunteers came together last year to help make prom dreams come true.

“For the St. Andrew Methodist Women, Prom Closet is a year-round labor of love,” said Rev. Arthur Jones, senior pastor, St. Andrew. “This dedicated group of women, combined with the many volunteers who make it happen each year, know its value. Each volunteer strives to provide an uplifting experience by letting the young ladies know they are loved, and they are beautiful. The Prom Closet has grown into such an incredible outreach program in North Texas and beyond because of the love and hard work of our volunteers. Words are not enough to thank them for going above and beyond each year to make prom dreams come true.”

All donations may be dropped off at St. Andrew, 1401 Mira Vista Blvd., just inside the church’s north entry doors on a designated dress rack. Look for the covered walkway leading to the entrance and see the website for specific drop-off hours. 

To sign up to volunteer, shop or find out more information, visit standrewmethodist.org/promcloset. 

For any questions, call the Prom Closet informational hotline at 469-385-1810, or email promcloset@standrewmethodist.org. 

St. Andrew Prom Closet Celebrates 15 Years!

St. Andrew Prom Closet, run by the Women of St. Andrew, is celebrating its 15th year! 

Prom Closet provides donated dresses, sizes 0-30, as well as accessories such as jewelry, shoes, handbags, and wraps to high school girls for prom– all at NO COST. Organizers estimate more than 4,000 dresses will be available when Prom Closet opens Feb. 20.

Each girl must sign up online for an appointment at www.standrewmethodist.org/promcloset 

Each girl must be present to shop for her own dress and is allowed to bring ONE guest, age 16 or older. 

A personal shopper volunteer assists each girl throughout the process, and there are 35 shopping slots per each 1.5-hour time frame. 

When & Where?

Feb. 20 – 22

and Feb. 26 – March 2, 2024

Smith Worship Center, St. Andrew Methodist Church, 1401 Mira Vista Blvd., Plano 75093

Prom Closet is open to any high school girl from ANYWHERE. If you live outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area, you can still come! Over the years, Prom Closet has welcomed girls from across Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma as well as exchange students from Germany, Poland, Switzerland, and Thailand.

Each year, approximately 500 volunteers assist with Prom Closet serving in a variety of areas. Prom Closet organizers and volunteers confirm that not only is the need great, but the impact the dress makes on the girl and her family is immeasurable.

Community and church members, businesses, organizations, and local groups donate dresses, shoes, wraps, jewelry, handbags, and other accessories for this annual event. Some dresses have never been worn.

The room is set up like a boutique. Each girl checks in for her appointment and is greeted by a personal shopper who helps her find dress racks with her size. Once she has selected her dress, she may try it on in one of 20 dressing rooms. Then she visits the boutique to look for jewelry, shoes, a handbag, and a wrap.

For more information, registration, donation and volunteer opportunities, visit:

www.standrewmethodist.org/promcloset

St. Andrew United Methodist Church to Host 10th Annual Prom Closet

St. Andrew United Methodist Church is hosting the 10^th Annual Prom Closet, Feb. 27, 28 and March 1 (Tues.-Thurs.) 4 – 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 3, 9 a.m. – noon, in the Smith Worship Center at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 1401 Mira Vista Blvd in Plano.  Girls from ANYWHERE in need of a prom dress are invited to come select a dress and accessories, all at no cost. Dresses sized 0 to 28 are available to choose from, many of which have never been worn. The only requirement is that girls must be present to select their dresses/accessories.

 

“As we reflect back over the last 10 years of Prom Closet, it’s amazing that we have grown from serving just 35 girls that first year to almost 1,000 last year,” said Devra Helffrich, an original organizer of the prom closet.  “The Prom Closet has proven to be a wonderful way to reach out and help the community.”

Community members, businesses, organizations, and local groups donate dresses, shoes, wraps, jewelry, handbags, and other accessories for this annual event, organized and operated by The St. Andrew United Methodist Women.  The Prom Closet was created to provide a unique shopping experience for young ladies who because of finances would be unable to attend prom.   Prom Closet organizers and volunteers confirm that not only is the need great, but the impact the dress makes on the girl and her family is immeasurable.  In addition to providing dresses to over 950 girls last year, 270 pairs of shoes and 1,700 pieces of jewelry were given to shoppers.

A link on Amazon is available for anyone that would like to help by purchasing items. These items will be shipped directly to the church. To review items available for purchase, https://tinyurl.com/PromClosetWishlist

“My students and I were so amazed when we arrived at The Prom Closet,” said Sylvia Cornelius, a teacher with Garland Can Academy who brought 12 students to shop in the Prom Closet in 2017. “To see so many beautiful gowns and have such sweet, spirited ladies working so hard to fulfill my students every desire was overwhelming. This program touches the lives of young women in such a magical way.  One of my students came up to me and said, ‘Ms. Cornelius, I never thought I would be able to get a prom dress and go to the prom.’ Garland Can Academy is grateful for the acts of kindness shown to 12 of our young ladies. I used this experience to teach and minister to the girls about service and how it's better to give than to receive.   We were blessed, and I give all praise to God for all persons responsible for this Prom Closet.”

Area school counselors have been provided information on their campuses.  Students must be present to shop for selection of dress and accessories. Please park in the east parking lot off of Mira Vista for donations and shopping.

Volunteer Opportunity: St. Andrew UMC Prom Closet March 23-28

St. Andrew United Methodist Church hosts its annual Prom Closet this week, and they're in need of volunteers today through Saturday, March 28th.

 

Community and church members have graciously donated shoes, wraps, jewelry, handbags, dresses and other accessories for this annual event, now in its 7th year. Girls who cannot afford a prom dress are able to shop this free event.

 

The impact a beautiful prom dress makes on a teenage girl and her family is immeasurable. Last year, 678 girls received prom dresses and accessories.

 

Volunteers are need to assist high school girls in their shopping experience -- selecting a dress and finding the perfect shoes, jewelry and a handbag to accessorize. Girls leave the church 'boutique' so thrilled with their complete look for prom.

 

Visit this link to volunteer for a two-hour (or longer!) shift.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0b4fa9ab2ea75-prom4

Donate Your Prom Dresses to St. Andrew UMC Prom Closet

St. Andrew United Methodist Church invites all girls from anywhere in need of a prom dress to FREE prom shopping days at the church, March 25-27, 4 – 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 29, from 9 a.m. – noon.  Community and church members are invited to donate shoes, wraps, jewelry, handbags, dresses and other accessories for this annual event.  The St. Andrew United Methodist Women organize and operate the prom closet.

“This is our sixth year to operate the prom closet, and it has proven to be a wonderful way to reach out and serve the community,” said Devra Helffrich, an original organizer of the prom closet with the help of Jane Marshall.  “The first year we provided 35 dresses to local high school girls, and last year, we provided over 200 dresses.  Presently we have around 1,000 dresses in the closet, sizes 2 to 22, and are excited to collect more this year!”

“One of our greatest needs is for donations of shoes, handbags, wraps and jewelry,” added organizer Jane Marshall.  “Those items truly make the whole thing pop, and the girls are so excited to leave St. Andrew with their complete look for prom!”  

Prom closet organizers and volunteers confirm that not only is the need great, but the impact the dress makes on the girl and her family is immeasurable.

“We want anyone out there who has donated a dress or accessories, or who can do so this year, to know what a difference it can make,” added organizer Jane Marshall.  “We anticipate another exciting year for the Prom Closet.”

Donations of dresses, shoes, handbags, and jewelry will be collected Saturday, Feb. 15 through Sunday, Feb. 23 in the main church Narthex on Saturday and Sunday, and in Room 126 on weekdays.  Larger dress sizes 14 and above are always needed.

For more information go to www.standrewumc.org or email standrewpromcloset@gmail.com. Area school counselors have been provided information on their campuses.  Students must be present to shop for selection of dress and accessories.  St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located 5801 Plano Parkway, corner of Mira Vista and Plano Parkway.

 

(For shopping days, please park and enter the church from the west parking lot, off Plano Parkway.  For donations, please park in the east parking lot off of Mira Vista.)