In its third year, Memphis Prom Closet has expanded to young women at Northside, Booker T. Washington, and Douglass high schools.

Donations will be taken through Feb. 22 at Bridges, MIFA, and Memphis Urban League.

The dresses will be dry cleaned, and hung on display racks for the participants to choose from. They are free to all students.

The dresses will be sorted on Feb. 23rd from 8-10 a.m. at Douglass and from 1-4 p.m. on March 2 Memphis Prom Closet will hold a Prom Party at Douglass, 3200 Mt. Olive Road.

 Along with dress shopping with a personal stylist, is a series of workshops that all students will participate in, including prom safety and ettiquette. 

When the women of Brown Girl Dreams, formerly known as Girl Talk Memphis, and Smitten Events realized there was a need to make prom a reality for economically disadvantaged teenage girls, they teamed up to create Memphis Prom Closet, an initiative that provides prom dresses, free of charge, to girls who would have not otherwise had the opportunity to participate in their prom activities.

More info: Lori Spicer Robertson at browngirldreams@gmail.com or 901-213-SMIT (7648).

In its third year, Memphis Prom Closet has expanded to young women at Northside, Booker T. Washington, and Douglass high schools.

Donations will be taken through Feb. 22 at Bridges, MIFA, and Memphis Urban League.

The dresses will be dry cleaned, and hung on display racks for the participants to choose from. They are free to all students.

The dresses will be sorted on Feb. 23rd from 8-10 a.m. at Douglass and from 1-4 p.m. on March 2 Memphis Prom Closet will hold a Prom Party at Douglass, 3200 Mt. Olive Road.

 Along with dress shopping with a personal stylist, is a series of workshops that all students will participate in, including prom safety and ettiquette. 

When the women of Brown Girl Dreams, formerly known as Girl Talk Memphis, and Smitten Events realized there was a need to make prom a reality for economically disadvantaged teenage girls, they teamed up to create Memphis Prom Closet, an initiative that provides prom dresses, free of charge, to girls who would have not otherwise had the opportunity to participate in their prom activities.

More info: Lori Spicer Robertson at browngirldreams@gmail.com or 901-213-SMIT (7648).

Last year 250 dresses were donated to young ladies at Northside High School. This year the dresses will go to girls at Northside, Manassas and Douglas high schools.

The Prom Party will be hosted on March 31, where each participant will get the chance to pick out her dress.

New or Gently used formal gowns in all sizes and accessories are accepted.

For more information about donating or volunteering contact Lori Spicer or Rachel Benford.

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When the women of Girl Talk Memphis and Smitten Events realized there was a need to make prom a reality for financially limited teenage girls, they teamed up to create Memphis Prom Closet, an organization that provides prom dresses free of charge, to girls who would have not otherwise had the opportunity to participate in their prom activities. This year, Memphis Prom Closet has chosen to donate proceeds to Northside High School and hopes to provide more than 125 dresses to junior and senior young women.

The Memphis Prom Closet will host a finale’ event on Saturday, March 26th at Northside High School, 1 – 4 p.m. called the “Dress Giveaway Party.” This event will emulate a store setting with a wide variety of dress choices for the girls, organized on racks by size, with dressing rooms and volunteers readily available to help with style decisions when needed. Along with dress shopping is a series of workshops that all students will participate in that range from discussions about prom safety to etiquette, and hair and makeup tips from professional stylists.

How You Can Help Make Prom a Reality

Dresses for the 2011 Dress Giveaway Party will be collected Feb. 12 – March 18.

Memphis Prom Closet is completely voluntary and financially supported by those who see its value. The Dress Giveaway Party and planning is all staffed, organized and run by volunteers. Donated goods, services and funds will all go directly to the benefit of the students. We are asking business partners and supporters to help by donating in a variety of ways: dry cleaning for the donated dresses, dining and entertainment certificates, storage space for off-season storage needs, store display racks, transportation of the goods and equipment, dresses and accessories, event decorations to create a store setting, promotional information to the community and cash donations which help purchase all of the above.

Donate a dress of any size – please make sure the dresses are in good condition, have been dry-cleaned and provide a hanger for each dress donation given. Donations of contemporary, gently used or new formal gowns and accessories are always accepted. We need dresses in all sizes, colors and styles. Gowns should be dry cleaned, in good condition, with no stains or other damage. To drop off a dress, please email girltalk.memphis@gmail.com or call 901-213-SMIT (7648).

Drop-Off Location – to leave a dress at any of the local drop-off locations, please see the addresses below:

• MPACT Memphis, Gwyn Fisher, 506 S. Main, Memphis, TN 38103

• Verizon Wireless, Adrian Killebrew, 2323 North Germantown Parkway, Cordova, TN 38016

• Memphis Urban League, Otha Johnson, 413 N. Cleveland Ave., Memphis, TN 38104

• Golden Gate Cathedral, Sandra Stokes, 3240 James Road, Memphis, TN 38128

Gift Certificates – to donate gift certificates for prom-related goods or services, such as restaurants, hair salon services, nail services, etc.

Monetary Gifts – securely donate monetary contributions to fund a teenage girl’s prom, to provide funding for the Dress Giveaway Party or to donate to ensure the Memphis Prom Closet meets the needs of as many girls as possible.

If you are interested in volunteering to help young ladies experience one of their most unforgettable moments – PROM or if you have any other questions, please email Lori Spicer at lori.spicer@gmail.com or girltalk.memphis@gmail.com or call 901.569.2967 or 901.213.SMIT (7648).

About Girl Talk Memphis
Girl Talk Memphis is an open dialogue, mentoring program that began in January 2010. The program aims to empower self-esteem, expose young girls to women and environments outside their own, and promote leadership and community service among high school girls. The program meets one Saturday per month, and local women, mostly young professionals, volunteer their time, experiences and talents to empower the lives of these young girls.

About Smitten Events

Smitten Events is an event planning boutique that delivers personalized service to our clients. At Smitten Events, our infallible eye for detail and earnest commitment to our clients has been the foundation to our success. From intimate settings to the most elaborate occasions, we approach each event with desire to meet the unique needs of our clients.