When Ed Bloomfield saw that some neighborhood kids couldn’t afford a prom dress for one of their most symbolic high school experiences, he wanted to help.
His wife, Josephine Bloomfield, who had missed her prom in New York City decades ago for the same reason, stepped up to join her husband’s new project.
The Bloomfield couple, both belonging to the Minisink Valley Rotary Club in Otisville, hosted their first free prom dress event at a local beauty parlor, with many of the 30 or so dresses donated by a Middletown dry-cleaning store. Only one girl showed up.
“We didn’t give up,” Josephine Bloomfield told The Epoch Times in an interview on March 17. “We continued. We just kept at it.
“Now, we have over 650 kids coming in.”
Most teens benefiting from the annual event hail from Orange and nearby counties in Hudson Valley. Once, a dozen high schoolers drove a long distance from Maine.
A growing number of local churches, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals have joined their cause over the past 15 years by providing storage and venue locations, dresses and suits, money for overhead costs, and a helping hand on event days.
Sometimes, donations came from states as far away as Florida.
“One of the things that is really, really touching is that a lot of people want to help,” Josephine Bloomfield said. “One time, we got a box at the post office—I wasn’t expecting the box—and I opened it right there; there were two prom dresses.”
“I feel like thanking everyone,“ Ed Bloomfield said. ”It is truly a work of God.”
The couple is now getting ready for their 15th annual prom dress event. They have more than a thousand dresses in stock, including long gowns and cocktail dresses, plus a selection of men’s suits; about three-fourths are brand new.
Shoes and jewelry are also available for free during the two-day event on March 30 and April 6, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., at Temple Sinai in the City of Middletown.
Jesus Perez, a local DJ, will play live music and provide a 360-degree photo booth with a rotating camera capable of capturing videos of guests from all angles.
To create an event experience similar to traditional store shopping, Josephine Bloomfield has displayed dresses on racks and arranged them across the venue.
“When they came through the door, some of them were a bit shocked and said, ‘We weren’t expecting this,’” she said. “It makes them feel like [they’re] shopping and not getting charity.”
“And we don’t ask them for personal information such as names or schools—some don’t want people to know they got their prom dresses for free.”
For high schoolers who are more comfortable trying on dresses without a big crowd around, Josephine Bloomfield offers a small number of private showings.
“I remember a girl who had a hard time looking for a dress and screamed, ‘I am not worthy of this prom.’ I tried to help her out,“ she said. ”At the end of two and half hours, she finally found a dress.
“Some of the kids come in, and they don’t have the confidence.
“Most of what these kids need when they put on a dress is for someone to say, ‘You look gorgeous.’”
This year’s annual prom dress event is co-presented by the Minisink Valley Rotary Club and Kindness Rotary Club, with support from Temple Sinai and United Presbyterian Church.
