Stephenson’s of Elkhart announces annual Prom Dress Drive to support local students

ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. - It’s spring-cleaning time. The time to scour the closet and get rid of clothes you don’t need and maybe even some dresses. And one local Elkhart boutique needs your help.

Stephenson’s of Elkhart has partnered with Lifeline Ministries to host a prom dress drive.

“We think everybody should have the opportunity to go to prom. They should at least have the choice but not everyone has the same means and or able to get what they want. We just want to make prom a little more accessible for everybody. We're hoping through our drive people will bring in nice, gently used prom dresses, ones that have been loved before and they’ll have the opportunity to be loved by a new person,” Stephenson’s employee Lily Reynolds-Miller said.

Here’s how it works: all you have to do is bring in a clean, gently used dress to Stephenson's boutique.

From there, the store will make sure the dresses are in good condition, making any alterations. And then, the dresses will be distributed to Lifeline for eligible students.

Donors will receive a discount at the store in return.

“We’re encouraging people to scour their closets. Spring cleaning time is here. We think this is the perfect opportunity to go through, maybe grab some of those dresses that have been hanging in the back of the closet for sometime now,” Reynolds Miller said.

The boutique is asking for formal dresses; there is no length requirement. They only ask that it be in good condition, regardless of whether it's a full-length ball gown or a homecoming dress.

Miller says she hopes this drive will help alleviate some of the financial burdens with prom, making students feel like princesses on this big night.

“Some of those dresses want another chance to shine. I think we all can understand and experience this. We have these things sitting in the back of our closet like ‘I don’t know what to do with this’. If you have those dresses and you know you’re not going to wear them again, we think this is a great opportunity to give them a new home, give them another chance,” Reynolds Miller said.

The drive is running from now until March 30th.