One of the biggest prom dress drives in Dallas-Fort Worth is ready to commence: The 16th annual St. Andrew Prom Closetwill open its doors in late February at St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano. But first they need to fill it.

Organizers are now accepting donations of formal dresses (sizes 0-30), jewelry, shoes, handbags, and wraps. They'd like to offer more than 4,000 dresses for teens to take home at no cost.

“This month we begin asking for the community’s help in providing donations of dresses and accessories,” says Devra Helffrich, a founder of the St. Andrew Prom Closet, in a release. “Each year, we depend on donations from individuals, local groups, and businesses to provide the many items needed to complete each girl’s prom ensemble.”

Items should be cleaned and "like new" (as if they were being taken to a picky resale store).

They may be dropped off at St. Andrew, 1401 Mira Vista Blvd., Plano, just inside the church’s north entry doors, on a designated dress rack. Drop-off hours are 8:30 am-8:30 pm Monday-Thursday and 9 am-12 pm Saturday. (Note: When coming to the north entrance, park in the large north parking lot off Mira Vista and look for the covered walkway and sign on the building.)

No fancy frocks or snazzy shoes to donate? They also have an option to purchase items through their Amazon shopping link. Donations will be shipped directly to the church.

Prom Closet is set up like a boutique, with over 4,000 gowns and accessories.Photo courtesy of Prom Closet

Volunteers needed
In addition to needing donations, organizers also need about 500 volunteers to help run Prom Closet, from check-in and check-out, to personal shoppers, dressing room assistants, and set-up and tear-down crew members. Volunteers must be adults and must complete a background check. Sign up here beginning January 23.

A service of the Women of St. Andrew Methodist Church, Prom Closet allows teens the chance to "shop for" free dresses, shoes, and accessories in a boutique-style setting, complete with a (volunteer) personal shopper.

The event has grown from assisting 35 teen girls when it started in 2009 to 1,073 girls from 213 schools and 103 school districts last year. The girls come from all over Texas and as far away as Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

"The Waco Children’s Home made three separate trips to bring girls to the Prom Closet because the van could not hold everyone that wanted to come at one time. Every girl found a dress," organizers say in the release. "Another favorite story is about a young woman who had been nominated for prom queen but could not afford a dress to attend. She found the perfect dress at Prom Closet and had a night she will always treasure."

Volunteers serve as personal shoppers.Photo courtesy of Prom Closet

Shopping details
The 2025 shopping event will take place February 18-20 & 22 and February 24-March 1 in a new location this year: The Students’ Area, St. Andrew Methodist Church, 1401 Mira Vista Blvd., Plano 75093.

It is open to any high school girl from anywhere, no questions asked, but shoppers must register online beginning January 23 to book an appointment. There are 35 shopping slots per each 90-minute time frame. A few rules:

• Shopping is by appointment only.
• Each student must be present to shop for her own dress.
• Each shopper is allowed to bring along just one guest, age 16 or older.