Junior League of The Woodlands partners with Giving Gown Foundation, participates in Boutique Day

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Junior League of The Woodlands (JLTW), an organization of women dedicated to promoting voluntarism and improving communities through effective action, contributed over 2,700 hours of service to offer local area teens the opportunity to attend prom.

For the past five years, JLTW has partnered with The Giving Gown Foundation to provide a “Boutique Day” for underserved high school girls in Montgomery and Harris Counties. This project allows teens to come shop for their dream dress at an amazing pop-up boutique filled with thousands of dresses, shoes, and accessories that are theirs to keep. Over 1,200 students from all around the greater Houston area attended the Boutique Days hosted at the Bammel Church of Christ Teen Center located off Cypress Creek Parkway, many of whom may not have been able to attend their formal events without this event.

Yoselin Martinez Salas, a participant of the event shared: "Thank you! Thank you!Thank you! My Fairy godmother made me feel special from the beginning before stepping into the Boutique room. My best friend and I drove from Pasadena all the way to the opposite side of town to find our special dress. I felt so beautiful and I could not stop smiling when I looked in the mirror -I truly felt like a princess."

Through the five-year partnership, Junior League of The Woodlands has collected over 6,000 new and gently used formal gowns to contribute to this event. This year alone, JLTW supplied over 27,000 hygiene and cosmetic items in swag bags for the teens to take with them as they exited the boutique. From March 21 to March 24, dedicated and trained volunteers assisted in various capacities, including “Fairy God Mother,” serving as the personal shopping assistant to the young ladies attending the event by providing encouragement and support. “It is so rewarding to serve young women in my community and help them feel beautiful, both inside and out. We hope they had an enjoyable experience at the Boutique Days, and we know attending a special event, like prom, is something they’ll remember for a lifetime. It means so much that I could participate -being part of Junior League makes it possible for me to get involved and truly feel like I can make a difference,” shared Terri Melton, Junior League Volunteer.

“Junior League members are united by their interest in ‘Building A Better Community,’ and our partnership with The Giving Gown Foundation is a perfect example of this philosophy,” said Laura Bomer, President of Junior League of The Woodlands. “We are delighted to be part of such a wonderful event and to have the opportunity to invest our time in empowering strong, intelligent young women to achieve their full potential. It is more than a gown; it is a chance as women to connect with these young ladies on such a deep, personal level and serve as role models for the next generation.”

If you would like to learn more about JLTW’s community involvement or are interested in becoming a member, visit www.jltw.org or call 281-376-5754.Facebook: /JLTheWoodlands or Twitter: @JLTheWoodlands