St. Andrew ‘fairy godmothers’ now accepting prom dresses

By Elizabeth Lenart

The fairy godmothers of The St. Andrew Prom Closet announce that the 16th Annual Prom Closet is scheduled for February 18-20 and 22 and February 24-March 1, at St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano. Girls from ANYWHERE in need of a prom dress are invited to come select a dress and accessories — all at no cost. Donations of dresses (sizes 0-30), jewelry, shoes, handbags and wraps are needed.

 “This month we begin asking for the community’s help in providing donations of dresses and accessories,” said Devra Helffrich, a founder of the St. Andrew Prom Closet, which was created to provide a unique shopping experience for young ladies who because of finances would be unable to attend prom. “Start the New Year with a clean closet and bring us your gently used dresses as well as shoes, jewelry and handbags! We also have an option to purchase items for the girls through our Amazon shopping link, which will be on the Prom Closet website. Each year, we depend on donations from individuals, local groups and businesses to provide the many items needed to complete each girl’s prom ensemble.”

 For shoppers, appointments are required to improve the overall experience and minimize wait times. Online registration for shoppers as well as volunteers begins Jan. 23. 

Visit standrewmethodist.org/prom closet. Each shopper must be present to select her own dress and accessories and may have one guest, age 16 or older. A volunteer will assist each girl throughout the process, and there will be 40 shopping spots per each 90-minute time slot. Prom Closet, a service of the St. Andrew Methodist Women, provides prom attire to approximately 1,000 high school girls each year. While the need is great, the impact the dress makes on the girl and her family is immeasurable. 

When Prom Closet first began in 2009, 35 girls from local high schools received dresses and accessories. In 2024, 1,073 girls from 213 schools and 103 school districts received dresses and accessories. Throughout the years, Prom Closet has welcomed girls from across Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma as well as exchange students from Germany, Poland, Switzerland and Thailand. A total of 941 volunteers came together last year to help make prom dreams come true.

“For the St. Andrew Methodist Women, Prom Closet is a year-round labor of love,” said Rev. Arthur Jones, senior pastor, St. Andrew. “This dedicated group of women, combined with the many volunteers who make it happen each year, know its value. Each volunteer strives to provide an uplifting experience by letting the young ladies know they are loved, and they are beautiful.”

All donations may be dropped off at St. Andrew, 1401 Mira Vista Blvd., just inside the church’s north entry doors on a designated dress rack. To sign up to volunteer, shop or find out more information, visit standrewmethodist.org/promcloset. For any questions, call the Prom Closet informational hotline at 469-385-1810, or email [email protected].

“Prom Closet needs many volunteers, and we hope you will consider signing up,” added Helffrich. “It is such a joyful and heartwarming place, and there are volunteer positions to suit every individual from set-up to check-in and check-out, to serving as personal shoppers for the girls. Join us!”

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