Prom Dress Giveaway Offers Students Unique 'Boutique' Experience

Prom Project Gives Students Opportunity to Attend Prom

Local High School Students Invited to Prom Dress Giveaway

Prom season is just around the corner and St. Francis Medical Center Foundation’s Prom Project returns this year to provide dresses, suits, shoes, and accessories to hundreds of South Los Angeles area high school students who otherwise could not afford to attend their prom. The Prom Project is a unique program. It gives away more than gowns. It provides a prom-day preparatory experience that helps students build self-confidence.

This year’s Prom Project distribution day will take place on Saturday, March 14 at St. Francis Medical Center (SFMC) from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The hospital auditorium will be transformed into a Prom Boutique filled with contemporary, age-appropriate evening and business-wear, suitable for prom and graduation events, as well as job interviews. Each student receives a personal session with a Prom Project volunteer mentor who will assist teens with making their dress, suit, accessory and shoe selections, provide social etiquette tips, and help students feel self-assured so that they can participate fully in prom and other educational milestones.

Since its inception in 2012, the Prom Project has provided more than a thousand teens with prom, graduation, and interview attire. This year approximately 150-200 students are expected to participate. The SFMC Foundation works directly with local high schools, so many students have scheduled appointments for Saturday’s distribution day; however, with a full inventory of prom attire and accessories available, walk-ins for this event are also welcome.

All of the dresses, suits, shoes, accessories, and cosmetics have been donated by hospital employees, physicians, local businesses, community organizations, and friends and supporters of the St. Francis Medical Center Foundation. The items are new or gently-used, in current fashion, in excellent condition and cover a range of styles of sizes.

High School students from the South Los Angeles community are invited to attend. No appointment is necessary. If students or their families would like more information they may contact Grace Mendez in the St. Francis Medical Center Foundation at (310) 900-7331 or gracemendez@dochs.org.