We’re back with #SOMAWESOME tonight and I’m so excited about this incredible group of women. 🙌🏽 They had an amazing idea and ran with it two years ago: Jill Abramson, Rhea Mokund Beck, Susan Bergin, Heidi Davis, Amy Forman, and Jane Perry (Rhea & Jane pictured here), all from Maplewood and South Orange. 🌟These selfless women started The Prom Shop at Columbia High School two years ago so all students could have access to beautiful prom dresses. 💃🏿
Rhea Mokund Beck + Jane Perry, CHS Prom Shop Volunteers
The shop began as a small collection of shoes and accessories and has grown into a beautiful boutique with hundreds of new and very gently used gowns, tuxes, suits, shoes, and jewelry. 👗 Students “shop” for free for the perfect look for the prom, and are aided by volunteer “stylists.” 👛 Last year the Prom Shop gave away over 130 dresses- in January over 200 dresses were “sold” at the sneak peak shop!! 👠
These amazing women solicited donations and recruited an awesome team of volunteers to set up and assist the shop. Everything in the shop was free, and included new handbags and cosmetics too.
Local donors included @perchhome, @retailtherapy_maplewood@colemanstuxedos @lesliesfinds, and @bobbibrown. #Gleasonscleaners provided free dry cleaning and a drop off spot for locations, and many of YOU donated items as well. 👗 The CHS Prom Shop is part of SOMA Justice's COUGAR CARES program at CHS in partnership with The Parenting Center, CHS HSA and @soma_action, which provides financial assistance to students to pay for school events such as prom, and help address food insecurity. Last year, Cougar Cares raised over $9,000 enabling 90 students to go to prom and installed snack stations throughout CHS.
For more information, please contact chscougarcares@gmail.com