Middle School Students 'Dress it Up!' For a Good Cause

It was during what seemed like an endless stream of Bat Mitzvahs last summer that it occurred to two Foster City middle school students that the idea of buying new dresses for each occasion felt wasteful.

The more Samantha Pearlstein and Joey Fradkin talked about it, the less comfortable they were with the idea of their closets quickly filling up with formal wear they'd soon outgrow and probably never wear again.

And these days, they aren't just talking about it.

They've taken action, starting up a group that aims to lift the self esteem of girls their age who may live short distances away geographically, but are separated by massive socioeconomic chasms.

"Joey and I had our Bat Mitzvahs coming up and we just thought, we go to so many Bat Mitzvah parties so we normally get a different dress for every party or for a few different parties and instead of just giving these really nice dresses away to Goodwill, why don't we give these to some of the girls who are underserved," Pearlstein said.

Those sentiments were the impetus for Dress it Up!

The group now brings previously worn dresses to less fortunate children. And although still in its early stages, the middle school students' project has already established five drop-off locations that have brought more than 30 dresses.

Pearlstein, who lives in Walnut Creek, and Fradkin, who lives in San Carlos, attended Wornick Jewish Day School together in Foster City until last September, when Pearlstein transferred to Charlotte Wood Middle School in Danville

But they remain committed to their group's mission.

"We're trying to plan more parties and keep growing it," Pearlstein said.

Earlier this year, Pearlstein and Fradkin visited Gateway Middle School, which serves low income students in San Francisco's Fillmore District who've worn dresses their group provided.

"it was really nice to see that what we were doing was going to be help these girls feel good about themselves," Pearlstein said.

And through giving, Pearlstein and Fradkin say they've gained an understanding of their place in the world.

"We get privileges that a lot of children don't have," Pearlstein said. "We want people to know that not everybody in the world has all the nice things that we have."

Want to help? Donate gently worn girls formal wear at the following drop-off locations:

In Foster City:

Peninsula Sinai Congregation 499 Boothbay Avenue (drop-off in the main office)

800 Foster City Boulevard (drop-off at front desk)

In Redwood City:

Congregation Beth Jacob 1550 Alameda de las Pulgas (drop-off in main office)

In Pleasanton:

Congregation Beth Emek  3400 Nevada Court (drop-off in main office)

In Danville:

600 El Capitan Drive (drop-off in main office)