Medford teens provide prom dresses for those who can't afford them

And, because of that, some area teens created Belle's Boutique, an event where used prom dresses are made available to any girl who wants them.The event was held recently at Fellowship Alliance Chapel on Church Road.The event was for Medford and the surrounding communities to help combat the cost of prom expenses.
New gowns donated from local prom dress stores like Nola Blu, the Royal Court in Marlton and Girlfriend's Boutique in Medford were available as well.Jamie Mendillo, 17, a Shawnee High School senior, said Belle's Boutique came about after a discussion about the cost of prom dresses and the economy."We just thought it would be a great idea to have people come and get dresses they don't have to pay for," Mendillo said."We just think it's a good way to show God's love to the community," she said. "It's a nice thing to do. I know it would be nice if someone did it for me."
Mendillo joined with members of the church's youth leadership team to put on the event.Jessica Hannon, 17, also a Shawnee senior, said the idea of Belle's Boutique came about last year around the time of her junior prom."We were realizing how crazy it is and how there's so much craziness about girls getting prom dresses – and it's just such a big deal," Hannon said."We just hope people see that God cares about every small thing in our lives," she said, noting she will try to pass the torch to younger members of the team. "We just want to show them that we love them and that God loves them."Hannon said it is also good to build relationships with girls she probably wouldn't have met otherwise.
Kelsey Pederson, 17, a senior at Cherokee, said she was excited for the opportunity to give girls a chance to get free dresses."It makes me feel awesome, really happy," Pederson said. "It feels good to serve God while serving others at the same time."Our church is open. We want people to feel welcome and loved here."Toni Mendillo, Jamie's mother, said she helped with publicity of the event, noting Shawnee's senior prom is May 11.
From 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, young women in need of a prom dress are invited to the gym at Heartland Church to browse through those 100 dresses, which range from size 0 -18. Bonsall said her plan for the dresses is to "loan them out and ask them to bring them back." She said she also has five wedding dresses and 20-25 pairs of shoes that have been donated to her cause. There will be no charge to borrow one of Bonsall’s dresses. She also stressed that the dress loans are confidential.