All Dressed Up Looking for Donations

Tuesday, 19 January 2016 07:57

Several community groups are teaming up to make sure girls have access to a dress for grad and prom.

Girls celebrating graduation and prom could get a little help from their fairy godmothers right here in Oxford through the All Dressed Up Event.

The Oxford OPP, Woodstock Police, Fanshawe College hair design and fashion design students, Unifor 88, Daisy Fresh Cleaning, and other community partners are making sure girls can make the most of their day by providing dresses, shoes, and hair styling.

Woodstock Police Constable Nikki VanLeeuwen says they have a big selection every year so the girls have plenty to choose from. "We have hundreds of dresses that are donated. Some are brand new with tags on them, some are gently used. Any grade 8 girl or grade 12 graduating girl going to prom or grad can come, go shopping, they'll be assigned a personal shopper, and they can choose their prom dress."

Right now the services are looking for donations according to VanLeeuwen. "We're looking for everything: dresses, shoes, jewellery, brand new makeup. we have Unifor 88 - they usually give us cash and what we use the cash for is we actually buy dresses so if we have a certain size that we're having difficulty finding then we'll actually go shopping and buy new dresses."

VanLeeuwen says there is usually a need for the larger dresses. "Usually the bigger sizes so the 2X, 3X, and that's usually what we spend money on, buying those dresses. So that's what some of the money is for. Also if someone doesn't have transportation to Ingersoll than we use it to get them a taxi to Ingersoll."

Donations of new or gently used dresses, shoes, jewelry and new make up can be dropped off at the Woodstock Police Services in Woodstock, or the OPP Detachments in Ingersoll and Tillsonburg.

The actual event is on Thursday March 31st at 250 Ingersoll St. South in Ingersoll from 4 pm - 9 pm. For an appointment call michellemurphy02@gmail.com or call 519-320-0700.