Mar 19, 2024 By Karen Mansfield 6 min read

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A surveillance still shows a closeup of pajama pants worn by a suspect who police said robbed Circle K on Dixon Boulevard in South Union Township at about 9 p.m. Sunday.

Ed Riedmann

Ed Riedmann

One person died Tuesday morning after a crash on Route 51 in North Union Township. The collision involved a box truck and a Saturn SUV. The driver of the Saturn, who died at the scene, has not yet been identified.

MikePalmmpalm@heraldstandard.com

Jack Hughes

MikePalmmpalm@heraldstandard.com

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Jim Downey | Herald-Standard

Gage Gillott

Prom season is rapidly approaching, but for some families, finding the money to pay for a prom dress is a struggle.

But there are area nonprofits who don’t want girls to miss out on prom due to financial circumstances, and they are turning girls’ dreams of feeling like Cinderella on their prom day into reality.

Dress for Success Pittsburgh will host its second annual FAB Sale, which includes prom dresses, from April 5-8 at Washington Crown Center Mall.

Girls can browse through DFS’ wide collection of brand-new formal dresses and gowns – and each gown is $50.

“That’s heartbreaking to think that someone would miss one of the most special events of her high school life because she can’t afford a dress. We want to make sure no girl is held back because they don’t have the right apparel,” said Tanya Volkes, CEO at Dress for Success Pittsburgh.

Last year, about 200 prom dresses were sold.

All proceeds are used for DFS’ boutique and mobile services for women across the region.

Angela’s Angels, a nonprofit in Latrobe, Westmoreland County, provides new and gently used prom dresses, shoes and accessories for high school girls who can’t afford it. The best part? It’s all free.

Angela Rose O’Brien, founder of Angela’s Angels, said she came up with the idea after seeing a similar program while on a trip to eastern Pennsylvania nearly two decades ago.

“I thought it was a good idea, but thought I’d do it a little differently,” said O’Brien.

The most significant goal for O’Brien was to provide dresses and accessories at no cost.

“Anybody can come in here and get everything from us for free,” said O’Brien. “If they elect to keep it, they can make a donation if they want to; if not, they can just return it. It won’t cost them anything. I say just bring yourself, nothing else is necessary.”

Everything in the store, on the first floor of a building at 600 Ligonier St., is donated by local bridal shops and donors, and comes new or “gently loved,” said O’Brien.

“They’ve been donating for years because they know it is for a good cause,” she said.

The nonprofit began in 2006, when a bridal store that was closing donated more than 100 new gowns – with tags still on them – to O’Brien to launch the program.

Early on, O’Brien and members of the Laurel Highlands chapter of Women’s Business Network held pop-up events at locations throughout the county before finding a permanent home.

O’Brien said the dresses carry a price tag between $120 and $700, and volunteers enjoy helping the girls find something they feel beautiful in.

“We’re here to boost your self-esteem and to make sure you feel good about yourself as much as we are to give you a pretty dress. That’s secondary,” said O’Brien. “When a girl walks in our door, her shoulders are slumped and she’s thinking ‘this is hand-me-down stuff,’ and then I open the door and when they see the short dresses, the long dresses, the jewelry, the room filled with shoes, they are blown away.”

Both Dress for Success and Angela’s Angels help people who are financially disadvantaged, but it also serves as a way for people to save money.

Volkes noted the dresses worn to events like proms and weddings are typically used just once, so shoppers enjoy keeping a few hundred dollars in their pocket.

“Even if you have the $300 for a dress, is it the right way to spend it? When we talk to girls about financial decisions, we want to consider spending responsibly,” said Volkes, noting that wearing a gently worn dress is a sustainable, eco-friendly option.

Consignment shops, too, offer opportunities to save money.

At Tina’s Consignment in Washington, a large section of boutique in the old Wolfdale School is filled with name-brand new and gently worn prom gowns that normally retail for as much as $700. Owner Tina Dallatore said she has been busy on recent Saturdays, as girls from as far as Wheeling and Morgantown, W.Va., and St. Clairsville, Ohio, search for their special dress for the big dance.

“Definitely, in recent years we’re getting more girls who are looking to save money on prom dresses. It depends on how much you want to spend on a dress you’ll only wear one time,” said Dallatore.

O’Brien estimates Angela’s Angels gives away more than 100 prom dresses each year to girls in the tri-state area.

O’Brien recalled helping a teen mom pick out a prom gown – she held the baby while the young mom tried on dresses.

“A few years went by and she called me and said, ‘I don’t know if you remember me, I wanted to know if I could come in and get something to wear for my high school graduation.’ A few

years later she calls again and said she was graduating from nursing school,” said O’Brien, who became teary. It turns out the teen mom went back to school again for her masters degree, got married and has three children. “She was so thankful and remembered how we made her feel when she was looking for her dress.”

No matter the event, Volkes and O’Brien said women will leave DFS and Angela’s Angels with a dress they feel great in without having to worry about a hefty price tag.

“We have so many different women from different walks of life,” O’Brien said. “We have ones who can afford it and choose to look at us first, and we have ones who can’t afford it. They’re all beautiful.”