Teen's "Closet" offers memorable gifts to young ladies

Posted: May 29, 2008   By: Staci Dennis

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – There are two things most seniors look forward to – graduation and prom.

For Lakesha, a beautiful dress, a nice pair of shoes and sparkling jewelry was something she could only dream about.

As one of 7 siblings, Lakesha worked to help support her family, who lived in "Trailer City" an area of Virginia Beach known for its crime and high school dropout rate. Lakesha had a full schedule with school and her job and, consequently, had no extra money to spend on something like the prom.

However, thanks to a partnership among Operation Blessing, Reaching Our Communities and Chelsea's Closet, Lakesha not only found the perfect dress but also got matching shoes, a makeover and a new hair style for her prom.

Chelsea's Closet was the vision of a local high school student, who wanted to open a "closet" filled with free prom dresses and gifts for young ladies who could not afford to go without financial support.

In 2003, OBI received a donation of 115 prom dresses and has been giving them to young ladies in need since 2006. This year, they donated 40 dresses to Chelsea's Closet.

"Chelsea's Closet is a great example of young women making a difference in our community supported through Operation Blessing's efforts," said Lynne Zotzmann, co-director of Reaching Our Communities, Inc., who also helped sponsor the event.

"We're all about transforming lives," said Steve O' Grady, vice president of domestic operations and programs for Operation Blessing. "The means of doing that can happen in many ways – even with something as simple as a prom dress."