Prom Dress Giveaway for underprivileged teens

St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood hosted the fourth annual Prom Project on March 14 to provide free dresses, suits, shoes and accessories to hundreds of South Los Angeles area high school students who otherwise could not afford to attend their prom.

Since its inception in 2012, the Prom Project has provided more than a thousand teens with prom, graduation and job interview attire.

Coordinated by the St. Francis Medical Center Foundation, the Prom Project does more than just give away gowns: the students are also paired with volunteer mentors who assist the teens with making their dress, suit, accessory and shoe selections, provide social etiquette tips and help the students gain confidence in order to feel more self-assured about participating not only in their upcoming prom, but also graduation or job interview in the future.

All of the dresses, suits, shoes and accessories (all in new or gently-used condition, covering a wide range of styles and sizes) were donated by hospital employees, physicians, local businesses and community organizations, and the volunteer mentors consisted of current college students and recent graduates.