HOUSTON — MW Cleaners collected, cleaned and donated 1,800 dresses for the MW Cares Prom Dress Drive and Giving Gown Foundation “Boutique Days” staged here in early April.
“My favorite thing about our event is seeing the generosity of our community through businesses like MW Cleaners, as well as our volunteers who poured love into our princesses,” says Cassie Miller, director of operations for Giving Gown Foundation, a non-profit community service organization that collects donations of new and like-new formal gowns and accessories.
For the second year in a row, MW Cleaners partnered with Giving Gown Foundation for this special event. The drive was conceived last year by MW Cleaners President Mike Nesbit to collect new and gently used prom gowns, which are collected all year long at his company’s 37 locations.
MW Cleaners was thankful for the generous donations from its customers who donated dresses, some still with price tags of $900 and greater, notes the company.
Gowns were professionally cleaned and then sent to Giving Gown’s facilities for Boutique Days.
At the April 7-9 event, 1,100 young ladies were each paired with personal shoppers (450 volunteers were on hand) who helped them choose a prom gown, shoes and accessories, the company relates.
Recipients received on-site alterations (MW Cleaners donated the work of a seamstress for those young ladies needing a dress that day), attended a self-esteem seminar, ate a boutique lunch and received a “swag-bag” of hygiene and beauty products, the company adds.
“These young ladies are being taught that, in this world, there are people who care, that there are people who love you and want to help you move forward,” says Nesbit.
“Boutique Days is not only a great representation of that, but it also teaches them about self-esteem. We want to be part of that investment into these young ladies’ future.”
“There were so many beautiful moments of kindness, compassion and understanding,” says Miller. “It was a beautiful weekend.”
Besides the cleaning and donation of the dresses, MW Cleaners donated $5,000 so the non-profit could purchase additional gowns in sizes 18-36.
“We're thrilled to have MW Cleaners stand beside us in uplifting and encouraging our princesses,” Miller says.
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