Second Time Around

(photo: Sinead Friel cc)

It's post-prom time again, and thus time for a gentle reminder for teens to try and make another girl's prom dreams come true next year. Donating prom dresses is especially easy if you have a local organization that handles this. But even if not, there are charities that accept dress donations by mail, like the NYC-based WGirls. So get that fab frock on its merry way while it's still in style ;)

Party Heart-y

cc photo: woodleywonderworks

It never ceases to amaze, the pricetag attached to a few pieces of colorful synthetic fabric once they're packaged as a Halloween costume. For middle class or more comfortable families, this price gouging is an annoyance; for lower incomes it's a real impediment. Yes, homemade costumes can save money, but they're not always feasible for busy working parents of kids too young to put together their own ensembles.

One easy way for kids to help kids this Halloween might be a costume drive -- like the urban-suburban clothing drive our local school district runs every year, but specifically focused on gently used Halloween costumes kids have already worn and are unlikely to use again. A whole school or district could undertake such a collection without too much trouble, passing on donations quickly to a higher-need school in the area. Or this could be a great charitable component for a class Halloween party. Kids would simply need to bring in their old costume(s) the day of the party.

Save the Next Dance For Me

photo: Scott McGrath via Wikimedia Commons

Hey teens --want to put an extra spring in your step this spring? Donating prom dresses will do that for you. Pass your dress -- and last year's too, if you still have it -- on to one of the many organizations nationwide that take donations & match them with peers in need. Find a prom dress donation site near you, or if there isn't one, donate a dress by mail. The few dollars you spend on postage will feel like a million bucks when you help another girl look like, well... a million bucks!

Almost Famous



image: uscsnow.org

As a survivor of a 5-boy sleepover this past weekend, looking ahead to two more this coming weekend, I've got PJ parties on the brain. So, luckily, do Guilford, Conn., sisters Addie (8) and Delaney (9) Kenney, who recruited 36 girls for an "almost sleepover" (the "almost" being a key concept when you're talking 3 dozen kids!) to help youngsters at an area shelter. Each girl brought a new pair of PJs for a peer at the shelter. Activities included making treats and crafts for seniors and holiday patients, plus the partiers collected $80 for charity. Addie and Delaney are taking their almost-sleepover concept nationwide this October for Make a Difference Day and, according to USA Weekend, have invited the Obama sisters to join in. Newman's Own awarded $10,000 in the Kenney girls' honor to the Life Haven shelter in New Haven.

Sew Kind

image: nonaknits.typepad.com

Tiny Baby-New-Years in Wake Forest, N.C., are waking up to the world in hand-knit hats, booties & blankets thanks to 10th grader Hannah Moyles, who provides warm clothing and blankets to "less fortunate" community members through her From Ewe to You charity. Her "Little Lambs" project supplies pediatric ward and newborn nursery patients with these handmade treasures. What a warm way to start 2011.

If the Shoe Fits

Imelda Marcos has nothing on Oliva Wright, 11. Through her Tennessee H.U.G.S. organization, the Hendersonville, Tenn., girl has collected an astounding 3,000+ pairs of shoes. But unlike Marcos, Olivia won't be modeling her collection. H.U.G.S. stands for Help Us Give Shoes, and these kicks all go to kids (and adults) in need, mostly in the Appalachians.

Organizing shoe drives and soliciting donations nationwide, Olivia not only collects the goods; she goes (pardon the pun) a step further by ensuring they get cleaned, sanitized & spruced up for their next owners -- a responsibility she takes personally. "Every pair of shoes that my mom and dad buy me is more appreciated now," she told ParentDish. "I still love cute shoes, but I love knowing that someone else will enjoy them after I do. I work to keep them clean and in good shape."

This ambitious kid hopes to have H.U.G.S. in every state within 5 years -- but won't stop there: "I plan to always lead H.U.G.S., all the way through high school, college, and then let my kids help me one day."

2 Good 2B Forgotten

Long after the flowers have faded, the photos emailed, the DJ packed up for the next party...the prom dress remains. For some teens, the dress packs too much sentimental value ever to part with. For others, it represents a chance to help another girl's dream come true.

Donate My Dress organizes local dress drives in an online database that helps generous teens pass on, to financially struggling peers, the dresses they've worn for prom, sweet 16, quinceañera or other special occasions. 'Cause pretty is as pretty does ;)

(image: Betsey Johnson dress & accessories in Elle Girl magazine)

Sweet Dreams

What child doesn't love climbing into a cozy new pair of pajamas? The Pajama Program brings that pleasure to kids in shelters, group homes, orphanages and foster care -- many of whom are waiting to be adopted. And it provides a perfect way for kids to help kids through slumber parties, classroom or scout troop collections, Bar/Bat Mitzvah projects, and more. How simple (and sweet) would it be to ask sleepover party guests to bring a new pair of PJs for the Pajama Project, or a new kid's book? (The charity has distributed more than 140,000 books since 2001, along with more than 350,000 PJ sets.) See the Pajama Project's Kids Helping Kids page for examples of what kids have done.