Published April 17. 2025 12:52PM
The 18th annual YWCA Prom Shop took place Saturday, March 29, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Venture X in Southside Bethlehem.
The evening before the Prom Shop, dozens of volunteers came together at Venture X to set up the shop. Portable dressing rooms were brought in by truck, and assembled on the first floor, while volunteers sorted more than 500 dresses by size. On the second floor, accessories and checkouts were set up.
Volunteers setting up for the Prom Shop included two YWCA staff members, YWCA board members, students from Lehigh University, PPL Corporation, Crayola and the community. Lehigh University has a Community Service Association for Athletes. Madison and Abby play volleyball for Lehigh, and were happy to volunteer to set up the Prom Shop.
The shop offered over 500 dresses, plus accessories, free makeup and brushes, plus goodie bags for prom, including wipes and other prom essentials.
Kathy Cruz, YWCA development director, said the YWCA has a storage unit just for the dresses. Donations come throughout the year from individual donors and companies. They have sponsorship packages, where donors can fund vouchers for free dresses. Each $20 donated equals one voucher. Some of the dresses are brand new, with tags still on them. Shoppers for the Prom Shop started with BASD students, but soon expanded to Allentown schools, and now people come from as far away as Reading, Cruz said.
Volunteers go over checklists at the counter, while more volunteers organize dresses.
PRESS PHOTOS COURTESY YWCAVolunteers from PPL Corporation huddle as they prepare to help set up the Prom Shop.
Press photos by Lani GoinsThree dresses in shades of blue are arranged before the window in the lobby of Venture X. To the left was a green foliage backdrop for photos that volunteers were setting up.
Kathy Cruz, then YWCA development director, addresses the volunteers. As of April 1, Ms. Cruz is no longer with the YWCA.
