The look on Amarilis Nieves’ face as she stared into the full-length mirror in front of her told the story.
“I like the color, but it’s definitely not the one,” she said, wrinkling her nose at the magenta dress she was wearing. “It feels like a curtain wrapped around me.”
The dress was a misfire for the 16-year-old Gov. Mifflin High School junior, but she was undaunted. Hanging on rods around the room were dozens more options, and one had to be the right fit.
Nieves had her pick of any that suited her needs, and didn’t have to worry about checking price tags to stay on budget.
Amarilis Nieves, 16, a junior at Gov. Mifflin High School, tries on a prom dress through the Threads of Success group at the high school. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
That’s because the dresses — as well as suits, shoes, dress shirts and a variety of accessories — are all be offered for free to Gov. Mifflin students as part of Prom Palooza.
Prom Palooza is a special effort of the high school’s student-run nonprofit organization Threads of Success. Led by the school’s social worker, Ashley Berg, the organization provides free clothing, food and supplies to students in need.
And with the often pricey prospect of prom approaching — Gov. Mifflin’s will be held May 16 — members of the organization created Prom Palooza to help take a bite out of the hefty cost for students to attend.
Amelia Schmidt, vice president of Threads of Success, said prom tickets alone cost $75. And that’s just the start of the cost, as students spend much more to dress for the event.
“It can be a couple hundred of dollars just to go to prom,” the 18-year-old senior said.
The dresses — a rainbow of colors in a variety of sizes and styles — along with all of the other items provided through Prom Palooza are all donated by the local community.
From left, Nox Clemmens, 17; Lilly DeLoretta, 18; and Amelia Schmidt, 18, all seniors at Gov. Mifflin High School, sort through the Threads of Success storeroom at the high school. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Nox Clemmens, 18, a senior and member of the organization, said the donated items give students a chance to express their style without having to worry about an affordability barrier.
“I think prom is definitely a time where people can express themselves with how they dress in a more formal way,” Clemmens said, adding that being part of the effort is valuable and meaningful to her.
And it’s not just clothing that Prom Palooza is offering.
Lilly DeLoretta, the organization’s treasurer, said local salons have offered low-cost or free hairstyling appointments to be given out, and a couple of students will win free prom tickets.
“We called a lot of local businesses and they were really willing to help out,” the 18-year-old senior said.
Prom Palooza will run up until prom, with students able to shop by appointment.
Threads of Success operates throughout the school year. Anyone interested in donating items to the effort can contact Berg at ashley.berg@gmsd.org.