Our Youth Shines Bright for a Night! Cornerstone Hosts 9th Annual Prom Boutique Event

Imagine the excitement! The anticipation for a night filled with music, laughter, and creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Cornerstone's Clothing Bank successfully hosted their 9th annual “Prom Boutique” event for 2024. High school students came to the “Prom Boutique” from various towns across CT to select the perfect prom attire and all the accessories at no cost.

New this year, we set up a showcase and a small pop-up at Rockville High School.  This

new addition ensured that every student had the chance to experience the joy of attending their special prom event. Students who couldn't make it to the main boutique had a convenient option closer to home.

But the magic goes beyond the dresses and suits. The Prom Boutique is all about creating

lasting memories. It's about easing the financial burden on families and making sure every

student feels confident and radiant on their special night.

We gave away a variety of gorgeous gowns, evening shoes and purses, sparkling jewelry, new makeup, and tuxes or black suits, shirts, bow or regular ties, black shoes and new socks to complete their prom attire.

Oh, the smiles! The Clothing Bank surprised each guest with a swag bag filled with goodies, making the experience even more eventful. Witnessing the pure joy and appreciation on the students' faces was truly heartwarming for the organizers and volunteers. This incredible event wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of our community.

Looking ahead, the Clothing Bank is already gearing up for their next Prom Boutique in 2025. We are always collecting donations of prom gowns, tuxes, black suits, sparkle dress shoes, evening jewelry and purses, new makeup, etc. throughout the year.

We want to thank everyone in our community who donated to our prom event. Zahner's Fine Apparel in Vernon donated 2 tux rental certificates. The South Windsor Congregational Church provided a check to buy new makeup. Loomis Chaffee and South Windsor High School held a prom gown drive for our boutique, along with jewelry donations. None of our events would be possible without the kind donations from the community and organizations.

The Clothing Bank has a wonderful group of volunteers with generous spirits, passion,

creative talents, and ambition. They allow us to extend ourselves and do more to help our community.

We will be holding a Back-to-School giveaway event in August. In October, we set up a Halloween Boutique, and in November, we'll be setting up “The Christmas Corner”. Everything we give out during our events is at no cost. We take donations of gift cards and items related to all our seasonal events.

Christine Filanowicz

Clothing Bank Director