Atlanta area church creates pop-up boutiques to ease burden of prom expenses

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With a few racks of glamorous gowns and a few boxes of sensational shoes, a conference room inside Clarkston High School quickly transformed into a pop-up prom dress boutique.

"We want to make these girls feel beautiful on their prom day," said Eumika Body Griffin, as she worked with high school students and volunteers from her church to set up the room.

She and other members of One Accord Community Church in DeKalb County created the church's Girl Talk Prom Dress Giveaway program.

"If we can help their parents cover the cost of address, or shoes and accessories so that they can focus on buying tickets and paying for other dues this time of the school year, then we have done our part," she told FOX 5's Portia Bruner as high school juniors and seniors sifted through the racks of donated dresses behind her.

Students said it was a relief to have so many dresses to choose from knowing they were all free.

"A lot of our parents don't have $200 and $300 to spend on a single dress for one night. It feels good to be able to come in here and just get a dress for free and not have to worry about it," said one Clarkston High School senior.

The trip to Clarkston on Thursday marked the third time this semester the non-profit group converted a school conference room into a room full of prom dreams come true.

"It's just a relief to be able to come here and find dresses like this," said a junior who will be going to Clarkston's March 22 prom.

The group took dresses to South Gwinnett High School and Southwest DeKalb High School last month. Stone Mountain High School is the next school scheduled for a pop-up dress boutique.

"The goal is for these girls to feel pretty and for them to know that someone cares for them," said Body-Griffin, who plans to expand the program next year to include Tuxedos and nice dress suits for young men who want to go to the prom.