YWCA Central Alabama will host a Prom Palooza event in Pell City and provide free prom dresses to St. Clair County girls in need. The event will take place on Saturday, March 10 from 9 a.m. to noon at Cropwell Baptist Church, 2700 Hardwick Road, Pell City, AL 35128.

Girls receiving the dresses have been referred by their high school guidance counselors, and they will be able to select the gown of their choice from a variety of sizes and colors. Accessories such as jewelry and shoes will also be available.

“We want to make sure that every girl has a chance to enjoy her prom,” said Vernetta Bowman, rural domestic violence services coordinator for the YWCA. “It’s such an exciting time for high school students and we want the girls to be able to enjoy every minute.”

The YWCA has operated My Sister’s Closet, which provides free clothing to clients and a high-quality, low-cost shopping option for the community, in downtown Birmingham for years. When the staff realized that the high cost of prom dresses made it impossible for some girls to attend, the idea for Prom Palooza was born. Last year, about 100 girls in St. Clair and Jefferson counties received free gowns.

The YW has had a presence in St. Clair County since 2009, when it opened Our Place, an emergency shelter for domestic violence victims and their children, in Pell City. Each year, the Purse & Passion St. Clair County Luncheon raises critical funding for the shelter. Members of the luncheon’s Steering Committee help organize the Prom Palooza event.

“These ladies make a tremendous difference in our community, and we are so grateful for all they do,” Bowman said. “They are truly dedicated to the women and children we serve and work so hard to meet every need, whether it’s a prom dress, furniture or household items.”

YWCA Central Alabama is a United Way agency dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. The YWCA provides child development programs for children of homeless and working poor families; safe, affordable housing; a broad array of domestic violence services; and social justice programs. For more information, please visit www.ywcabham.org, http://www.facebook.com/YWCACentralAlabama and http://www.youtube.com/ywcentralal or follow @YWCentralAL on Twitter.