The Cinderella Project was created to help girls feel beautiful for prom regardless of their ability to afford a dress. The project was started in 2021 and for the last 4 years has been operating in Brentwood.
“The Cinderella project is through the foster and adoptive care coalition, what they do is collect gently but yet still trendy used prom dresses and then they distribute those through their organization to girls who are in need of a prom dress,” said Jenifer Perone, ELA teacher at Rockwood Summit High School.
“In 2014, we had a student here at Summit and my oldest daughter was on STUCO with this girl so when she graduated, my daughter kind of took it over then my other daughter continued the work and they did it together while they were here,” Perone said. “When COVID hit the project slowed down a bit but my 2 youngest are here at Summit now and they have taken it over this year and are hoping to keep it going.”
Make prom an enjoyable and memorable experience for girls around the St. Louis area who may not want to go to prom because they can’t afford a dress. Anyone can donate to the organization just bring your gently used prom dresses to one of their two drop-off locations. 1710 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, MO, or West County Center on Level 1 near Nordstrom.
“Between 2014 and 2017 we collected over 400 dresses district and in 2015 and 2016 we collected 180 dresses district-wide,” Perone said.
This is an amazing opportunity to give back to your community and give back to others who are in need.
“Counselors and Social workers at the high school can get names of girls who need dresses and they can pass those alone and then the girls get to come in and get a dress so they get to go to prom,” Perone said.
If you are interested in getting a dress see your High School social worker and talk to them about possible opportunities for you.
“It’s best to start with the social worker at your high school and then they can pass your name and information onto the foster and adoptive care coalition and then they will get in touch with them,” Perone said.
Prom is a priceless experience and nobody should have to skip it because they cannot afford a dress.
