Collegiate students donate ‘Fairy Godmother’ prom dresses

Twenty students from the Collegiate School in Henrico traveled to the campus of Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Services in Jarratt April 1 to transform the organization’s recreation center into a boutique filled with racks of formal dresses and tables overflowing with shoes, jewelry and make-up.

It was all part of The Fairy Godmother program, through which students paired up with JFBHS residents to help them find ensembles that made them feel special. (Jackson-Field is a residential psychiatric treatment program that serves children 11-18 who suffer from severe mental illness.)

When a girl found the perfect dress, laughter rang out and a huge round of applause echoed. Young men in the program were provided with a pair of dress trousers, a white shirt, and a tie of their choosing. The students will participate in a spring dance on campus, during which they will spend an evening dancing to their favorite songs and snacking on treats provided by the organization’s food service staff.

Collegiate students work year-round collecting gently-used formal attire and holding fundraisers to purchase supplemental items such as shoes and makeup. And, JFBHS officials said, the students always demonstrate an ability to engage with their peers at JFBHS and encourage the sometimes-reluctant residents to “Try it on! It’s the perfect color for you!”

Collegiate students have organized and operated the program for JFBHS residents for the past 20 years as a way to help them have the traditional high school prom experience that they otherwise would not. JFBHS officials estimate that more than 700 prom dresses have been given to residents since the program’s inception.