Elizabeth’s Natalie Brogna’s project was a dress success
Natalie Brogna remembers sitting in her first-period class at Elizabeth Forward High School during fall of her senior year. Although prom was months away, her group of girlfriends already was chattering about dresses and shoes. One friend stayed quiet until she mentioned that she didn’t plan on going.
All the girls chimed in: “You have to go. It’ll be so much fun!” But the girl confided that her family couldn’t afford a dress.
It was a lightbulb moment for Natalie.
“Oh my gosh: Not every girl gets to have their dream prom because their parents can’t help them afford a dress,” she remembers thinking. “It made my heart so heavy because I never realized that was a reason people didn’t go.”
Natalie knew a few members of her church were already collecting dresses for young women. So, for her
Girl Scouts Gold Award project, she collaborated with them and narrowed the idea down to prom dresses, shoes and accessories.
By soliciting donations through church, over the loudspeaker at school, friends and word-of-mouth, the project took off.
Natalie’s church, Norwin Christian Church, stored the dresses and hosted the events. Individual “shopping” appointments were available for those who wanted to keep their needs private, but there was also a “big event day” in February 2020 for girls and families to shop together. No matter which way girls attended, the goal was a one-to-one ratio between shopper and volunteer helper, so each girl received undivided attention.
More than 100 girls received dresses, shoes and accessories, but the donations were so plentiful that more than 100 dresses remain. Natalie is about to begin her sophomore year at Liberty University for zoo and wildlife biology, but she checks in with those still involved with the project, dubbed “Dress in Joy,” which will continue to help make prom an “equal opportunity” event.
“Our No. 1 goal, which we said to the volunteers before any of the girls arrived, was we just wanted to make these girls feel loved and to make them smile because, who knows, they might not smile all the time,” Natalie said. “It was really wonderful to see how happy they were that this was the year they could finally go to the prom.”