The Prom Project makes dreams come true
A Canonsburg church hoping to make dreams come true for area teens who would like to attend their high school prom but can’t afford the dress.
The Prom Project at First United Methodist Church at 161 W. Pike St. in Canonsburg has more than 150 dresses available free of charge.
The Prom Project was started in 2025 as a partnership between Dawn Fuchs Coleman and Kimberly Campbell-Emili, who had dresses available at a space shared with Seed to Weed and Mix Match Candle Wax at 47 W. Pike St. Campbell-Emili said at the time she remembered some of her classmates didn’t go to prom because they could not afford to buy a dress.
The church took it over this year.
“We decided to do it at our church,” explained Cathy Bell, the church’s worship leader. “They’re free of charge for anybody who wants to come. There’s no stipulations. There’s no requirements that need to be met. We are open and ready to start taking appointments now for the beginning of March. Everybody is welcome.”
Bell realized firsthand recently the cost of a prom dress because her granddaughter attended a prom within the past couple years. She figured this was a good service project for the church, which already provides a number of outreaches.
“We have the room,” she said. “The church is huge. We enjoy reaching out to the community and helping the community in any way that we can.”
Bell said the church is still accepting donations of relatively new or gently worn gowns of all kinds.
“They need to be kind of up to date and modern, not 20 years old,” she said. “What we have are beautiful dresses. It’s not ugly, leftover-type dresses. They’re beautiful.”
Of all the dresses already on hand, many came from Campbell-Emili’s efforts from the start of The Prom Project, while others were donated anonymously.
“Anything that we can do to help somebody in need, whether it be a dress or whatever, that’s what the church is all about,” Bell said. “We thought this was something that would be fun, something that would give us joy to see other people having joy.”
To make an appointment or to donate dresses, call 724-250-0559.