Prom gowns of every shape, size and color were displayed on several racks Sunday on the second floor of First Christian Church of Lansing as more than 70 teens waited downstairs to find the perfect attire for the big dance. After a two-year pandemic hiatus, Promapalooza was back.
“My dog actually fell asleep under one of the dresses when we were going through the donations, we couldn’t find him,” laughed Laura Hensley. She now calls it the turkey dress.
Hensley is in charge of the nonprofit the Community Closet of Steger and the Chicago Southland, which was started by her daughter, Michelle Perry, when she was a student at Bloom Trail High School.
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When Perry was in high school and saw that not all the girls could purchase a dress for homecoming or prom, she began the Closet Dress giveaway. She and her mom started calling the event Promapalooza a few years later.
“The first prom event was held in our front yard where we hung dresses on our 6-foot fence and more dresses on a broom stick held between two ladders,” Hensley said. “The girls came and we gave away all the dresses.”
The first year, about 35 girls got a dress, and the rest were donated to a teen shelter in Kankakee. For Homecoming this year, there were over 600 dresses donated. Over 300 prom dresses this year were donated by students from Marian Catholic and Mother McAuley high schools.
“These students are coming from single parent households, living with their grandmother and even a young woman living in a homeless shelter came today to get a prom dress,” Hensley said on Sunday.
Promapalooza also is for the guys. If a student needs a suit and tie with shoes, he is welcome.
“The Closet is also here to help with military balls, graduations and fall formals as well,” Hensley said. “You don’t want anyone to miss their graduation because they won’t look like their friends. I don’t want to hear of a girl skipping their prom and sitting at home because they can’t afford a dress.”
Last week, Hensley held a prom preview for teens who have special needs.
“Any girl who had any condition that felt uncomfortable being in a setting with a lot of people was allowed to come in at special times,” Hensley said.
As Hensley went to find a dressing room for a student, dresses of all colors were being pulled off the rack. Suddenly everyone in the room stopped and all eyes were on Ameerah Shatat, of Lynwood.
“I found my dress,” she said quietly. As tears welled up in her eyes, she looked in the mirror and knew her night at prom would be a princess moment.
It was the same for Bloom Trail student Alecia Turner.
“My family doesn’t have a lot of money and prom is already expensive, coming here to find a dress is important for my family and myself,” she said. Finding her perfect dress, Turner added, “This is my vibe.”
Rachael Kirn, of Sauk Village said without Promapalooza, she would have missed out.
“This means a lot for me today,” she said. “I don’t have the money to buy an expensive prom dress. I’m so grateful. If I didn’t find a dress here today, I couldn’t afford to go to prom.”
“We give away clothes every day of the week,” Hensley said. “This is different. These girls have a sense of relief when they can be included in prom, that they’re not singled out. Today is about getting something they thought they would never have.”
Hensley’s daughter Perry started the Community Closet after she heard of a baby in the community that was in need.
“I found out about baby Angel,” said Perry. “We found out he had no clothes or diapers and was hurt. I began a collection for him — like bottles and clothes anything he would need. The donations just poured in.”
“It was hard to monitor needs and donations so my mom and I came up with a Facebook page called The Community Closet of Steger and the Chicago Southland,” she said. “We work off the page, people put needs on there and then we match donations with the needs.”
The Community Closet of Steger and the Chicago Southland are still collecting prom gowns, shoes, purses, jewelry and young men’s shirts, ties and suits for prom 2022, which can be dropped off during business hours at Trophies and Awards Plus, 3344 Chicago Road, Steger.
Another Promapalooza is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. March 27 at First Christian Church of Lansing, 2921 Ridge Road, Lansing.
Mary Compton is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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