When Brynne Coletti made an anonymous donation to help her daughter's friend buy a prom dress, she never expected to start a nonprofit.
Now in its 10th year, Kenzie's Closet in O'Bryonville works with girls who can't afford to go to prom by giving them dresses, purses, jewelry and shoes.
Between now and the end of April, high school students referred to Kenzie's Closet by a social worker, school counselor or teacher will be paired with a volunteer personal shopper to design an outfit that fits them and the theme of their prom.
According to Kenzie's Closet executive director Kathy Smith, over 3,000 girls have gone to prom with the help of the organization since its inception with 423 students served in 2014 alone.
The organization works with an army of volunteers: Last year, Smith said, 98 adults volunteered alongside 67 high school students.
In addition to the personal shoppers and seamstresses who do alterations, community organizations are also involved. The recent "Bring the Bling" event with Broadway in Cincinnati at the Aronoff Center yielded 3,800 jewelry donations. Last year's dress drive done in conjunction with the Cincinnati Museum Center's Princess Diana exhibit landed 563 dresses.
"Money is nothing to be embarrassed about," Smith said. "It's not just a dress."
How to help
• Dresses can be dropped off at any Appearance Plus Cleaners, who donate their services and store dresses for Kenzie's Closet.
• High schoolers who'd like to volunteer can search for "Kenzie's Closet" on ugive.org. To maintain confidentiality, arrangements are made so volunteers won't run into any of their classmates receiving help.
• Any junior or senior at an accredited high school can request a form from their school counselor to start the referral process.
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