Brandywine Living’s South Jersey communities collected prom dresses to benefit local teens.
Prom season is here, but what does that mean for teenage girls experiencing family hardship? Brandywine Living partnered with The Unforgotten Haven this prom season to help fulfill the dreams of teens looking for that perfect prom dress but whose family cannot afford or are experiencing hardship.
The Unforgotten Haven is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help the less fortunate through feeding the homeless, assisting victims of house fires, collecting supplies for veterans and much more. Michele Gambone and Jeanne Rodrigues, partners, along with their team of 30 volunteers, have dedicated themselves to aid the local community in various ways.
“We are very excited about this as many girls miss Prom due to the fact that they can’t afford a dress. We are also expanding our services to include suits and tuxedos for boys,” said Michele Gambone, Founder/Partner of The Unforgotten Haven.
Brandywine Living’s South Jersey communities, Haddonfield, Moorestown Estates, and Voorhees, joined together to increase their collection efforts. After a month long drive, the communities collected over 200 prom dresses, shoes, and accessories donated by team members, families, and the local community.
Directors of Community Relations (Stacy Costa, Moorestown Estates; Kim Fasolo, Haddonfield; and Bridget Carroll, Voorhees) collectively dropped off the prom donations in three cars to The Unforgotten Haven’s center in Blackwood, NJ on Thursday, May 3, 2018.
“All of the prom dress donations are given free to low income families, house fire victims, families from domestic violence safe houses, etc. All of the dresses are being labeled and inventoried so the dresses can be used to bless more than one girl. Our Prom Boutique run by our Fairy Godmother, Michelle Ferry, is being set up in Gloucester City. Girls will be seen by appointment to provide privacy,” stated Michele.
The Unforgotten Haven’s Prom Boutique will be open all year long to cover Prom, Snow Ball Dances, Military Balls, Home-school Dances and Proms for disabled children.
Besides offering help during Prom season, The Unforgotten Haven provides a free “clothing closet” for people in need — including the homeless, victims of house fires, and families struggling to make ends meet. The non-profit also has multiple volunteer initiatives including Blessing Bags, PB&J Sign Up, and Chemo Snack Bags.
Michele commented, “We couldn’t do this without support; Brandywine Living has shown so much support to The Unforgotten Haven over the past year.”
Brandywine Living looks forward to next year’s drive and continuing to support The Unforgotten Haven’s mission to provide aid to the local community.
For more information on The Unforgotten Haven and how to support their mission, visit them online.