Not every kid gets to experience high school friendships or prom nights, which is a shame. No kid should miss out on such core memories.
Luckily, some people out there are making sure that some less privileged kids can still get to have proms.
Let me introduce you to The Formal Project, a business of sorts that allows underprivileged kids attend their high school formals.
Founded by Sam Oakes, The Formal Project is stocked to the brim with dresses, shoes, suits, and everything a teenager needs.
Oakes has a soft spot for the working-class high school students.
She started the project 3 years ago in her own closet, and it soon boomed into what it is now.
How does it work? Well, like this: a kid visits their official Facebook page and then books a meeting with them.
The kid is given one whole hour to choose what they want – completely free of charge.
All those dresses, whether bare-back, classic, strapless, or simple are there for the choosing.
And for the boys, there’s dozens of pre-tied ties waiting to be worn.
The suits are kept in great shape and are just waiting for the right person to fit into them.
Though where did Sam get all these clothes? Well, from donations.
When Sam showed the world what the goal of her business was, it resonated with more hearts than just hers.
Before long, all kinds of folks from across Australia were donating used formal clothes.
All so they could help Sam help someone else.
Some donors are very generous as well – with one woman donating 50 dresses.
Strangers from across the country all share the same goal – to make some kids they’ve never met happy.
“It’s a lot more than a dress, it’s their dignity and their self-respect,” Sam Oakes told A Current Affair.
Spoken very well indeed. And she’s helping make that happen.
This is no “small” business either. The Formal Project gets a lot of business from all across the country.
Last year alone, they provided formal clothes for over 400 Australian school kids.
This year, the order is far bigger.
For this year, they’ve been booked by 900 kids!
And 32 of them are homeless, mostly living out of their cars.
Sam got a bit teary-eyed describing how these kids live.
I’m sure she wishes she could do more than just dress them up for their prom.
But to her credit, what she’s doing goes a long way.
And it’s more than most people can do for them too.
Sam and her volunteer workers know how much this means to those kids. It’s what keeps them going.
They know that if they were kids, they’d want someone to do the same for them too.
“I want every single one of the kids who come through here to feel like they’re valued, because they are.”
If you’re in Australia and want your old dresses and suits to find better use, then why not give Sam a call and donate them to her?
Watch the video below to see more on this heartwarming project, that’s making a huge difference for teens!
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