The Cinderella Project, Making Every Girl Feel like a Princess on Prom Night

At least once in her life, every girls should feel like a princess. And they can if they have a fairy god mother like Joann Sowa of The Cinderella Project of New Hampshire.

This national organization helps teenage girls get outfitted for the prom. They provide, for free, a new dress, shoes, jewelry, whatever the girl might need to indeed feel like a princess on prom night.

"They make an appointment, everything is confidential and then they come in and they pick out their gown and accessories as we have in stock, shoes, jewelry, unopened makeup and so forth." says Sowa.

The dresses are all new and donated, either by dress manufactures, formal shops or the general public.

"In order to qualify for our project, the ladies must be on some sort of public assistance, or the family that they live with. We also do loss of job, we do divorce or illness and sometimes a parent or both parents are working and just cannot keep their head about water."

And Joann says these days falling behind is easy for families, leaving there's no money for girls to get what they need to attend the big night.

"Well because of the economy we are seeing, yes, many more middle class families. You get, we've done a lot in the Bedford area, when you lose your job and with the Mortgages as high as they are it doesn't take long before you have financial problems. The girls at first are uncomfortable coming, but once they get into the routine, see the items that we have, they are really more comfortable, and you know, are able to pick out their prom dresses and be happy."

And making the girls happy is what this organization is all about. Ashly Rodriguez of Manchester says she's glad that the Cinderella Project is here, because takes away some of the stress surrounding prom.

"It's awesome because it's like free, that's like a big load off you shoulders. Like you got it, you got your prom dress or you got your dress, no worries about like money and stuff."

For Joann and her team of volunteers relieving that stress for these girls is what makes it worth while for them. They even take the show on the road. Most recently they traveled to North Strafford, NH and outfitted 130 girls in the small town.

For many girls, the prom would not be a reality without The Cinderella Project. Hashira Rodriguez of Manchester Boys and Girls Club has referred many of the girls she works with.

"This place is amazing. Everything that they've done for us and done for the club is incredible, because we have a lot of girls without the Cinderella Project they would never be able to attend prom, never be able their semi's, so it's really great that we have such an amazing program in our community."

Changing lives, one dress at a time is what The Cinderella Project is doing, and for Joann Sowa, she's glad they are glad to be making a difference.

"It's just a great joyful feeling and we have a wonderful picture on our website, we have this fantastic picture of the young ladies and one of them has no shoes on and she's jumping high off the floor, hair is you know going in all different directions. If any body goes to our website you will just get a chuckle out of this, anybody would be able to see the joy that their donations bring to these young ladies."

For more on the Cinderella Project:
http://www.cinderellaproject.net/

To watch a video version of this story:
http://www.wmur.com/chroniclevideo/19128916/