How does the program where CHS students are able to receive prom dresses and suits work, and how do students receive those materials?

All they have to do is come down to the freshman center. They receive it immediately, I have a whole room where students that prefer to wear suits and pants are in one room, and students that prefer to wear formal dresses are in another room. They can just go out and pick, and it’s all organized by size and then we have our private bathrooms with large mirrors where they can try them on and choose what they want. Then I put in in a little bag and they get to take it home. 

Have you seen a lot of students turning towards this option?

I have, in fact, this year more so than ever, so I’m really really excited. We also have a wonderful community that has donated some dresses, even more, so we keep replenishing which is really really awesome. 

Who came up with this idea and what was the motivation behind it?

I (Mrs. Skeens-Benton) did because I have been here forever and a long time ago I saw a need for students that felt like they couldn’t go to prom because they couldn’t afford it or didn’t have time, maybe. I had a situation where a young lady’s mother passed away and she just didn’t have anybody to go with her. So, back then, I would actually take them, and we would pick out a dress and I would buy them. 

How has this idea developed since it was created?

A PTO mom had heard that I would take students to go buy prom outfits, and she made a donation, and then after that, other young ladies had heard about it and then said they’ll donate their dresses and then it kind of just steamrolled where different stores and places were donating dresses to us. Then, we just ended up having our own little area and it just became even bigger and then we had all of our own stuff and it’s self-sustaining, and it really makes me happy. 

How do you think this program has affected students at CHS?

Well, for one, hopefully, it has given them access and opportunity to participate in prom. Two, it is an example on how you give back to the community and what’s so awesome is I have a lot of these dresses from from former students who know about the program, and for them it’s a way of saying they want to give back and if it’s going to help someone, then they’d like to do that. It promotes a culture of giving and caring.

Where do the prom materials come from?

So, most of them are donations and some of them are brand new, so they still have tags on them, because they’re from stores or maybe someone ordered a dress that they didn’t use. But, there are some instances where I still will help if we don’t have a size because there are certain sizes we might not have. If that’s the case, then we will make sure that we can get something that works for the students.

If students were to donate their dresses or suits, what would they do?

Students can just bring them to the freshman center office. We take donations all year and our community has been really awesome about getting the word out and we have been accepting dresses, and we keep on accepting dresses. I had a former student who actually did a prom dress collection, she’s I think 26 or 27, and she ended up collecting so many dresses that she gave them to other organizations as well as Carmel High School because so many people wanted to donate. And I think, too, there are a lot of weddings and a lot of people have bridesmaid dresses that actually work as prom dresses and so those have been really awesome too. And I had a girl that was in a pageant and we have these gorgeous beautiful dresses and she borrowed one for a pageant. I just love the whole idea of recycling all of these and providing access and opportunities for students here at Carmel High School, and that’s really what the goal is.