Save the Date - Prom Dress Giveaway March 12-13 |
We are excited to once again be able to hold our Prom Dress Giveaway in person this year at the Oregon Convention Center on March 12-13. Although the event may look a bit different, the goal is still the same - to make every participant feel special, beautiful and confident! This year we have more than 7,000 dresses that have been donated just for high school students.
Being safe and following Oregon COVID guidelines are critical to the success of this year's Giveaway. Advance registration will be required and only one guest will be allowed to accompany the attendee. Attendees must show proof of vaccination or a negative test 72 hours prior. For more details about the event, visit our website and for more information regarding COVID guidelines, visit the Oregon Convention Center website.
Spread the news and save the date! Thank you for all of the support!
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Dreams Scholarship Application Now Available |
This year's Dream Scholarship application is now online. We are excited to offer three scholarships this year totaling $5,000, to female high school seniors attending school in Oregon or Washington. One scholarship, for $1,000, will be awarded to a student entering a trade school, another scholarship, for $1,500, will be awarded to a student entering a community college, and one for $2,500 will be awarded to a student entering a four-year college/university. Our scholarship program, which began in 2011, supports our mission and f ocus on education, confidence, and inclusiveness. The applicants who best embody the spirit and mission of Abby's Closet will receive the scholarship awards and be invited to attend a private giveaway to select a perfect prom dress and accessories. In addition, they will help open the Prom Dress Giveaway event at the Oregon Convention Center on March 12. For more information and for the scholarship application, visit our website.
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Thank you for the fantastic dress donations! |
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LOHS Dance Team Hosts Dress Drive
A big thank you to the Lake Oswego High School Dance Team for organizing an extremely successful dress drive. Over 75 dresses were collected. That's certainly a reason to dance!
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LO's Anna's Bridal Continues to Support Through Donations
We are grateful for the continued support of Lake Oswego's Anna's Bridal shop , that donated 20 gently-used sample dresses in December. The dresses, shown above, ranged in style, color and size and will make great additions to the Prom Dress Giveaway.
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Sharing the Love Application Now Available for 2022 |
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Since not all students can easily get to the March Prom Dress Giveaway, we are excited to continue to offer another way for dresses to reach high schools. The Sharing the Love program donates prom dresses directly to high schools or nonprofit organizations in Oregon and Washington for distribution to its students. Sharing the Love began in 2018 and in its first two years, over 2,000 dresses were donated to high schools and nonprofit organizations. In 2020, due to the global pandemic, this became our primary giveaway program since the annual Prom Dress Giveaway event was cancelled. Applications for Sharing the Love must be submitted by a staff member of the school or organization and will be accepted through Friday, March 4. As there are a limited number of dresses to donate, Abby’s Closet will review applications and decide which schools will be the recipients. Each school will receive between 25-200 dresses, based on enrollment or specific request. For more information and the application, visit our website. |
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Abby's Closet Emeritus Board Member Passes On |
We are very sad to share the news that Elaine Davis, a former Board member and a long-time volunteer and supporter of Abby's Closet, lost her battle with cancer in December. Elaine served on the Board of Directors from 2006-2012 and was instrumental in helping to steer the organization forward during our formative and challenging years. She then moved to the Emeritus Board and continued to be actively involved. Elaine helped at every giveaway event. Her favorite role was volunteering in the reception and check-in areas. Elaine loved chatting with the students and guests who were in line and would often give impromptu tours to visitors who were curious about the event. Elaine also loved helping with our annual holiday tea fundraiser. She would scour antique and second-hand stores to find beautiful teacups and teapots to use at the event and even donated many from her own personal collection. Elaine was a positive, hard-working, friendly person who was kind to everyone she met. We appreciate all of her contributions to Abby's Closet. Our condolences go out to her husband, Rick, sons and daughters-in-law, Richie and Michelle, Matt and Sara, as well as her four grandchildren. She will be greatly missed! |
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We need your help! Have a few minutes to spare? |
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Abby's Closet has a few special volunteer opportunities available and hope our amazing volunteers and friends can help!
Dress Pick Ups
Have an extra hour here and there? We are building our list of people who are able to pick up dresses at our Drop Off Sites, particularly in Portland and the greater metro area. Add your name to our list. We will email you when we have pick ups and then arrange a time to have you deliver the dresses to our Clubhouse. If you're interested, email info@abbyscloset.org and let us know!
Empowerment Cards
We are currently seeking volunteers to create cards with positive messages to attach to the dresses. The students love finding these notes on each dress. We need thousands of cards with color and creativity. If you're interested in getting the details to help, please contact Lois at lois@abbyscloset.org.
Thank you!
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Visit our website at www.abbyscloset.org |
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