Disaster relief can come in many forms, and this past weekend, the Ascension community came together to help high schoolers get ready for homecoming through Help With Homecoming, a donation effort designed to give formal wear to those affected by flooding in August.
Nearly 200 formal dresses and 75 suit jackets and pants were given away in the Dutchtown High School gym on Saturday, said English teacher Mark Ebarb, who organized the event.
Dress shirts and shoes also were available to pick from.
The clothing was donated by individuals as part of the Help With Homecoming effort designed to give back to families with high schoolers in need after flooding in August destroyed thousands of homes and belongings.
Caylee Acosta, a freshman at Dutchtown High School, came to look for a homecoming dress Saturday morning.
Her family’s home flooded during the storm, and she was forced to evacuate along with her mother, brother and pet Chihuahua.
She said she is staying with a family friend until she can move into a new house.
“I’m really excited about moving,” Caylee said while picking through fuchsia and sequined dresses.
“It’s awesome to see girls and boys actually leaving with clothes,” Dutchtown Principal Carli Francois said.
Francois said some girls even were planning ahead and picking out a dress for prom, too.
“This was very last minute,” Ebarb said. He only had a week to spread the word about donating and coming to the event.
Despite the rush, Ebarb said things came together really well.
“There’s been a very steady flow of people coming and going all morning,” he said.
Not only did Ebarb receive clothing donations for the event, but people also donated clothing racks and volunteered to make signs.
Kate Ducote, at Salon La Prairie and Regal Nails in Gonzales, donated free manicures and pampering for a raffle at the event, too.
“This is a good community for this kind of thing,” Ebarb said.
After everyone has gotten a chance to look through the dresses, Ebarb said he plans to donate the remaining garments to local theater programs and drama classes for costumes.
“This is just one example of the community coming together since the flooding,” Francois said.
“People from all over the parish have come,” Ebarb said. “It’s been great.”
“This is the most stress-free dress shopping,” said Donya Guidry, mother of Lily Guidry, who is a freshman at Dutchtown High School.
Lily went home with a black and beige dress that fit her perfectly.
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