The Princess Closet founder LaKenya Hill shows off a prom dress being offered by the non-profit. 

With prom around the corner, a local nonprofit on wheels is set to make the dreams of young girls come true by providing free prom dresses for local high school girls from working and low-income families.

The Princess Closet came to life seven years ago by founder LaKenya Hill with assistance of her daughter and her group of friends who found a need in the community.

“Prior to seven years ago, I mentored young teenage girls on teaching them how to be leaders in their community, how to serve their peers around them and how to be servant leaders whether it’s in their school, in their churches or in their community,” she said. “One particular group came up with the idea of, ‘What if we can give prom dresses to our friends in high school who can’t really afford them?’ That was an issue that they saw, so we found the solution to the problem.”

The nonprofit caters to anyone attending prom along with those who come from working class or low-income families. It has helped Whitehouse, Tyler and Mineola school districts along with special needs programs at campuses.

Although the main goal was to originally provide free dresses to local girls, transportation seemed to be an issue for many of the girls in need, Hill said.

“They had financial issues for transportation or they had special needs, things of that sort. So the solution to the problem was to visit the high schools and that’s what started the tours. We have a moving truck and we decorate it like a boutique,” she said. “Our goal is to give these young ladies a boutique experience and we travel to their schools.”

According to Hill, the girls chosen to benefit from the program are identified by school counselors but if not identified, families in need can always reach out to participating campuses.

Hill and the Princess Closet team, which consists of her daughters and young girls who serve as consultants, will visit campuses next week.

Girls must be registered, pre-registered or will be asked for information during the school visit. Based on the registered information, the campus will have dresses for them to pick from, which range from sizes 0 to 28 in a variety of colors, trends and styles.

Hill said the process is an exciting moment for the girls, especially the celebration that comes after ‘saying yes to the dress.’ She also said she enjoys the amazement of the students who question the process and are in disbelief of what the nonprofit offers.

“I would say one of the common phrases that I will hear from girls multiple years is, ‘All this for me? I don’t have to pay anything?’ We’re constantly answering a question like .. ‘Hey, listen, yes we’re here for you. And no, you do not have to pay and our goal is for you to leave with a dress.’ It might not be what they want but they leave super excited,” she said. “It’s just the impact of just seeing the smiles on their faces and to know they walk away feeling valued.”

Besides the campus visits, Hill said the Princess Closet will also be doing a pop-up shop on March 26 for other girls in need. Those interested must register at https://forms.gle/mFPfLPWRZmpFoZCYA. The application is open for anyone and the form will ask for basic information such as email address, name, type of dress such as style and size, and media release permission.

For those who benefit from the dress, Hill hopes to encourage them to perceive the experience beyond the clothing item and take away the empowerment it brings.

“It’s beyond the dress because they only wear the dress one time, but they’ll remember the experience and they’ll remember the way that we care for them and serve them that hopefully will carry them on past graduation,” she said.

Hill hopes to partner up with more people and help girls beyond East Texas by creating different chapters for the nonprofit to reach a bigger audience.

“I just want our community to know that we’re here and to walk alongside these young ladies. It’s beyond a one dress situation. Our goal is to be able to help build confidence and their self-esteem. Hopefully further down we have different meet-and-greets and conferences that we will want to invite them to continue uplifting them,” she said.

The Princess Closet has given over 600 dresses since it was established seven years ago and takes donations all year, said Hill.

Any dress is accepted, especially gently used modern dresses from the last three years, which Hill said helps the inventory stay up to date with styles and trends.

To donate a prom dress, contact The Princess Closet on Facebook page, via email at therealprincesscloset@gmail.com or call 903-882-9700 to set up either a drop off location or a place to meet to donate the dress.