By Crystal Puga
February is the month of spreading love, whether you’re sharing it with partners, family, friends or even yourself. Consider not limiting it to only those you know this month by being a gal and sharing your dresses, shoes or accessories with other teen girls who are anticipating their last dance of high school.
Accepting new or gently used prom dresses in all sizes at participating locations throughout February, Comerica Bank and Project Beauty have partnered for the 11th Annual Comerica Bank North Texas Prom Dress Drive. They will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Collin County, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas and Dallas CASA.
Sharon Balaban, donor relations manager at Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), says the nonprofit social service agency serves teens in protective care, whether in the foster care system or in temporary care with relative placements.
In March, the donations are set up as a boutique to give teens the full experience of picking out their prom attire with live makeup demonstrations offered by the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Dallas and basic alterations provided by Dallas CASA. Both nonprofit organizations also give away swag bags. In the past, Project Beauty has gifted various beauty kits and an ultimate makeover on prom day.
“We offer two different shop days,” says Balaban. “We average around 50 or 60 teens, for a total.”
The prom project became a collaboration between the small nonprofit and the regional bank in 2024. Comerica and Project Beauty ran separate programs before United Way of Metropolitan Dallas recognized Project Beauty as Social Innovator of the Year, which gave them the exposure needed to broaden their community impact.
For Jo Lam, founder and CEO of Project Beauty, the purpose of this initiative is personal. She was a girl who did not have the means to go to prom, which is why she started Project Beauty and why this project is among her top favorites.
“The shopping event is so much more than just a dress,” Lam says. “It’s about letting someone know that they’re cared for, that they’re seen, and that they matter.” Many teens leave the event with more than a dress. For some, it is the first time they have experienced a traditional prom shopping trip — complete with styling and community support.
Comerica has donated 7,390 dresses, serving more than 200 teens last year by collecting 800 dresses across seven North Texas-area banking centers. The drop-offs closest to campus are located at Mockingbird-Abrams and NorthPark.
Be a gal and share your closet this February. That old formal dress from freshman year sitting in the back of your closet? Or the prom dress that you still have and have never worn again. Donate them.
For more information, visit https://www.comerica.com/community/promdressdrive-dal.html
