MANSFIELD, Ohio – Princess Endowment will be collecting new and/or gently-used prom dresses from 12 – 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 and Feb. 21 at Shiloh Baptist Church, located at 130 E. Second St.
The dresses will be given to female high school students free of charge during Princess Endowment’s annual prom dress giveaway at the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library. A date has yet to be set for this year’s giveaway.
Last year marked Princess Endowment’s first prom dress giveaway. Enisia Lee, director of Princess Endowment, said over 30 dresses were handed out. After the giveaway last year, she received several requests from people in need of a dress; thus, she hopes to hold this year’s giveaway on multiple days.
In addition to the giveaway, Princess Endowment hosts a brunch for high school girls. Lee said last year’s brunch included students from Mansfield Senior High who had the opportunity to hear from guest speakers about the value of education and holding oneself to a high standard.
Lee said she’s planning on holding another brunch this year and hopes to include students from a variety of local schools. She also hopes to gather up a group of girls to go on a college tour. Additionally, she would like to host training sessions for girls, helping them learn such things as filling out a job application and creating a resume.
Princess Endowment is an organization that is focused on enhancing the low self-esteem and life skills of inner city teenage females of Richland County.
Lee said she felt compelled to start this organization a couple years ago to empower and inspire teenage girls. As stated in Princess Endowment’s mission statement, “Our mission is to edify the skills necessary to promote healthy cultivation of young ladies by focusing on educational advancement, character building, goal setting and achievement, and physical and emotional wellness.”
“If I can help just one person, that’s most rewarding to me,” Lee commented.
