By Joel Ceausu
The Suburban
Breanna Pallante was on her school’s prom committee and had a new dress ready for the shindig, but the pandemic had other plans.
Instead, says the NDG’s Saint Raymond Centre event coordinator, someone else got the chance to wear it thanks to the Notre-Prom-de-Grâce Prom dress giveaway project. “I never got to wear my dress, but someone else got to and that really warmed my heart.”
This year is the sixth edition of NPDG, a collaborative effort of Saint-Raymond’s Community Centre and the NDG Community Council. The main goal of the giveaway for neighbourhood kids graduating from high school is to give it for free, “but we also believe this is something that will teach teens about being sustainable in the choices they make, by reusing prom dresses and reducing waste.”
Pallante says prom dresses are often worn once and sit for years in closets, either due to sentiment or simply because people don’t know where to donate it. “People can feel weird about blue boxes because they don’t know where it’s going to end up. But the feedback we’re getting from the community is great, and we have people in their 30s and 40s offering dresses they still have. It makes a big difference when they know where it is going, and we promise them that we are going to find a teen who will really appreciate and love that dress. Donors see it going to their neighbours, it creates a really special moment. Some even want a photo, which we can’t guarantee, but we can ask!”
With tough economic times and the rising popularity of thrifting, “obviously this reduces waste and it’s much cheaper than brand new clothing. Kids actually want to thrift their prom dresses.” It’s about the beauty of the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle, while offering families a respite from overspending.
How it works: teens register for a 30-minute slot to come “shopping” between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday April 13. “We started getting calls about it in January.” Even after prom season in summer people are dropping off dresses. “Our storage is limited,” she laughs, “but we take it because we want it to go to someone in need.”
Last year almost 200 teens came to pick out a dress but some leave with complete outfits. “And we’re looking for a variety of sizes. Each year we have a lot of smalls and mediums and we struggle to find large and extra-large, so it would be nice to give more options for each girl. We don’t want to limit their choices.”
Pallante says some students who chose a dress last year brought it back for someone else to use: “It’s the gift that keeps on giving, and it’s incredible to see people inspired by the moment.”
It’s also the perfect opportunity now to look back in your closet during spring cleaning or while switching out the fuzzy sweaters for tees and tanks to consider that shiny dress in the corner. Gently worn or new dresses (prom, bridesmaids, or cocktail dresses), along with strappy sandals, pumps, mid-to-high heels, jewelry and purses can be dropped off at: St Raymond’s Centre, 5600 Upper Lachine Road Monday to Friday between 1:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., or at the NDG Community Council at 5964 Av. Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Suite 204. Students can register at https://app.amilia.com/store/en/comite-jeunesse-ndg/api/Activity/Detail?activityId=xrVEz59&date=2024-04-13&view=mobileListView&scrollToCalendar=
For more information visit CJNDG.org, Instagram: @centrestraymond, or email centrestraymond.assistant@gmail.com n