One afternoon, a teen girl from Chino Valley High School in Northern Arizona came home jumping up and down with excitement — she had been asked to prom. She exclaimed, “Mom, this is the best news ever! We need to find a beautiful dress. Can we go shopping tomorrow?”
Her mom smiled and agreed. But once her daughter left the room, she broke down in tears. As a single mom with five children, working two jobs, she had no idea how she would afford a dress and accessories.
The next day, she opened the newspaper and saw an article about the Priceless Prom Project, a pop-up style boutique where area teens can shop, free of charge, from a large selection of formal prom attire. The new and like-new items — including dresses, suits, tuxedos, purses, shoes and jewelry — are available to any area high school students on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The mother and daughter pair went to the Priceless Prom Project where the daughter found everything she needed, free of charge.
Diane DeLong, senior program manager for Catholic Charities’ North Star Youth Partnership, which runs the Priceless Prom Project, remembers this story as one of the nearly 3,000 teens that have been impacted by the program since its founding in 2009.
North Star Youth Partnership, a Central and Northern Arizona program of Catholic Charities, engages youth ages 11-18 through educational, recreational, leadership and service-learning opportunities. Founded in 1997 in Yavapai County, North Star Youth Partnership strives to nurture youth’s potential through programs that build their self-confidence and the ability to make good choices. North Star Youth Partnership now offers more than ten programs serving youth across Maricopa and Yavapai County and will be hosting the annual Priceless Prom Project at Pine Ridge Marketplace in Prescott, Ariz., March 10 – April 9.
The highly anticipated event is made possible with the help of businesses and individuals in the community who donate items and their time to ease the financial burden of attending prom. Each year an estimated 500-700 items are donated for the Priceless Prom Project, and more than 80 volunteers serve a combined time of more than 375 hours, all to help students look and feel their best for the special occasion.
For information on location and event hours, click here. Prom attire donations can be dropped off at the boutique during open hours.
