Allen Community Outreach's Princess Project celebrates eight years of giving back to Collin County girls (and boys!)
Free or Reduced Cost Prom Wear- The Princess Project gears up for its largest event to date; opening its doors to any Collin County senior that needs assistance.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Allen, TX, January20, 2016:
Anyone with a high school age teen knows the high costs that can be associated with prom. Much of the expense is related to the dress, the shoes, the accessories and the tuxedos. Unfortunately, many local teens are prohibited from one of the most memorable times of their senior year because their parents simply cannot afford the cost. For many parents, telling their teen they cannot attend their prom can be heart-breaking. For the teen, it can be extremely disappointing.
Allen Community Outreach, a Collin County social services agency, provides basic human service needs- such as financial assistance for rent and utilities, clothing and food, and other family services. One such service is the “Princess Project” hosted by The ACO Resale Shops in Allen. “What started out as a collection of 40 dresses in our resale shop to help three Allen seniors, has grown to a collection of over a 1,000 dresses for any Collin County senior that needs help making their prom a memorable experience” said Director of Resale Operations, Del Herrod-Valdez.
“Along with the ACO Client Services team, we partner with the counselors at local high schools who can identify boys or girls that might need assistance. They will be given a bracelet that identifies them as a client who will be given everything they need to make their prom night a hit- at no cost to them,” added Valdez. ACO also collects gift cards to salons, accessories retailers, restaurants and florists to be given to those teens most in need,” added Valdez.
We have kicked off our collection of gently used prom dresses, shoes, handbags, jewelry and gift cards this week. Donations can be dropped off at any of these ACO locations:
ACO Resale Shop
801 E. Main St.
Allen, TX 75002
ACO Boutique on the Road
Watter’s Creek
945 Garden Park Drive
Allen, TX 75013
ACO Processing Warehouse
2140 N. Redbud Blvd.
McKinney, Texas 75069
Farmersville Resale Shop
676 W. Audie Murphy Parkway
Farmersville, TX 75442
Suncreek United Methodist Church at 1517 W. McDermott in Allen will be transformed on March 24, 2016 from 6:00–9:00 pm for a fabulous Pre-Prom Party, full of dresses, accessories and shoes. Not only will students identified by their school counselors or ACO Caseworkers be there to shop with their identifying bracelets, but also the event is open to the public. All dresses will be sold from $10-$30 with proceeds going to benefit this program. Miss Texas Shannon Sanderford will be on hand to sign autographs and assist the girls in selecting their perfect gown. Local makeup artists and hairstylists will help the girls piece their look together with hair and make-up tips.
The Princess Project will then pack up and move remaining dresses and accessories to the Boutique on the Road at the Watter’s Creek shopping center located at the Southwest corner of Central Expressway and Bethany Road in Allen.
Allen Community Outreach is the local provider of free human services for Allen, Lucas, and Fairview. Now in its 30th year of operation, ACO has grown from strictly information and referral services to a wide array of service provisions which include information and referral, rent and utility assistance, job bank counseling and referral, clothing from the ACO Resale Shops, the ACO Food Pantry, confidential counseling, GED classes; new school supplies and backpacks, holiday food boxes, and toys at Christmas. For more information, please visit the website at www.acoresaleshops.org