Junior Class holds annual Say Yes to the Dress fundraiser
The New Trier Junior class raises $2,700 for Mothers Trust Foundation, marking another successful spring fundraiser toward prom attire free of charge.
Mothers Trust Foundation Facebook
Mothers Trust Foundation holds prom pop up shoppe every year during prom season
Every spring, the junior class collects dresses, shoes, accessories, suits, and monetary donations to donate to Say Yes to the Dress, a program created by New Trier which offers formal wear and accessories for prom to students who cannot otherwise afford them.
This year, the class donated $2,700 and around 100 dresses to the Mothers Trust Foundation which created the Prom Shoppe for Education at CLC. Through this, they create pop up shops in underserved areas to distribute the dress and suit donations to students in need of prom attire.
Prior to the Mothers Trust Foundation, there was a similar program the school used to work with: The Glass Slipper Project, a nonprofit organization that also collected and provided the dresses free of charge to juniors and seniors who couldn’t afford prom attire. Unfortunately when COVID hit in 2020, they had to close their shop.
According to their website, The Glass Slipper Project has helped over 20,000 young women find their prom attire free of charge since 1999.
Advisor Chair Trish Sheridan has been working with Glass Slipper Project and Mother’s Trust for the past nine years.
“[The Glass Slipper Project] is hoping to come back in 2024, in the meantime, we started to work with the Mothers Trust Foundation; an organization that helps students with different needs from different communities. They have held up a prom pop up shop for the past few years.”
Based in Lake Forest IL, Mothers Trust Foundation provides assistance during times of crisis to low-income children living in Lake County, Illinois. The Foundation’s goal is “to provide hope, build confidence and make a positive difference in a young person’s life.”
Sheridan appreciates not only the motive of the foundation, but also the opportunities that the foundations supplies to students during the sale.
“[Mothers Trust Foundation] thinks about the pop up shop as more than just a dress, they host the event on the College of Lake County Campus so students can see the campus, and maybe tour it while getting their dress.”
Sheridan hopes to expand volunteering activity by letting students not only raise money but also work the Dress and Suit sale with Mothers Trust in the future.