Happy Thursday, folks!
Last weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of flying down to Houston for the Smahrt Girl Foundation’s annual “Dress the Dream” Prom Dress Giveaway.
Smahrt Girl is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the development of teen girls through mentoring and other developmental programs. According to their mission statement, “The [goal] of the Foundation is to provide girls the opportunity to live the life of their dreams by offering positive support through character building, career planning/workplace training, and leadership programs.” Smahrt Girl Foundation also helps underserved teens get dressed for Prom at no cost with a program called “Dress the Dream.” The community donates dresses, shoes, and services so the girls can feel and look bomb for Prom.
The foundation kindly flew me down to Houston to speak to the girls about my story and also help them shop! I encouraged them to go for their dreams and not let anyone’s low expectations of them dictate their destiny!
After my talk, it was all about shopping. I helped a few young ladies find the perfect dress for the big night! I don’t have kids (yet), but the whole experience felt like I was shopping with my daughters. I felt like the mom encouraging them to try things on, telling them about the best colors that work for them and that they won’t know if something is cute until they try it on. It definitely reminded me of how I used to shop with my mom!
For the day, I wore a look from Mod Chic Boutique in Houston (6125 Kirby Dr, West University Place, TX 77005).
Then I was back to New York!
I LOVED working with Smahrt Girl! We often forget how hard it was to be a teen trying to figure out our lives and personal style. I enjoyed connecting with everyone in the room, and am looking to help Smahrt Girl inspire teens and give them the tools they need to succeed.
Learn more about Smahrt Girl here. The head of Smahrt Girl, Pamela Ellis, and I were talking about bringing the prom dress giveaway to New York, Atlanta, and more. Sounds like a great idea, no? Stay tuned for details.
What do you think?
