Nonprofit increasing access to prom dresses for students across Greater Cincinnati (2024)

THERE WITH YOU, BUT MAYBE NEXT YEAR. OKAY, WELL, MAKING SURE EVERY HIGH SCHOOL GIRL IN CINCINNATI IN THE AREA HAS A PROM DRESS THAT THEY JUST LOVE FOR A NIGHT THAT THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER. THAT’S THE GOAL, ANYWAY, OF KENZIE’S CLOSET, WHICH HAS HELPED THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF GIRLS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO MAY NOT HAVE OTHERWISE HAD ACCESS TO A DRESS. LET ALONE ONE THAT THEY REALLY LOVE AND THAT FITS THEM. SO GREAT. SO YOU CAN HELP THEM WITH THEIR MISSION AT THEIR LARGEST FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR. IT IS HAPPENING A LITTLE LATER THIS MONTH AND HERE TO TELL US MUCH MORE ABOUT KENZIE’S CLOSET IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KATHY MCDONNELL, JOINING US, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, HEATHER BATDORF. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. SO I HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO DO STORIES WITH KENZIE’S CLOSET, AND IT’S ALWAYS SO TOUCHING TO SEE THE GIRLS IN PERSON. KATHY, FIRST OF ALL, TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW ABOUT KENZIE’S CLOSET, HOW DID THIS COME TO FRUITION AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS? WELL, IT STARTED BACK IN 2001 WHEN A STUDENT AT SAINT URSULA CONFIDED IN BRYNN COLETTI’S DAUGHTER THAT SHE COULDN’T AFFORD TO GO TO PROM. SO BRYNN CALLED THE SCHOOL AND OFFERED TO PAY FOR THE DRESS AND AND SO THAT HAPPENED. AND THE NEXT YEAR THEY GOT A CALL AGAIN. AND SO THIS IDEA WAS BORN THAT WE WERE GOING TO START DRESSING GIRLS FOR PROM. SO AFTER COLLECTING NUMEROUS DRESSES IN HER GARAGE, UM, AND THAT WAS WHEN 2001, IN 2006, WE OFFICIALLY BECAME A NONPROFIT CHARITY. AND AND SO WE LAUNCHED OUR DRESS FOR SUCCESS WAS OUR FIRST POP UP SHOP THAT WE WENT THERE AND THEN WE’VE BEEN AT 2010 MADISON ROAD AND O’BRYONVILLE EVER SINCE, AND IT’S PACKED WITH DRESSES. THANKS TO SO MANY OF YOU. HEATHER, TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WHAT YOU’VE SEEN WHEN YOU’RE HELPING THESE GIRLS FIND A DRESS. AND MAYBE FOR SOME, IT’S A LITTLE EMBARRASSING THAT THEY HAVE TO BE THERE. YEAH. SO WHEN THEY FIRST COME TO KENZIE’S CLOSET, THEY’RE A LITTLE SHY AND A LITTLE RESERVED AND NOT SURE THEY WANT TO BE THERE. BUT WHEN THEY WALK IN AND THEY SEE THE PINK COUCH AND WE HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS, THEY BREAK OUT OF THEIR SHYNESS A LITTLE BIT. AND BY THE TIME THEY LEAVE, THEY’RE TWIRLING AROUND, THEY’RE EXCHANGING SNAPCHATS WITH OTHER GIRLS. YOU KNOW, IT’S A REALLY FEEL GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR THEM AND FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS AND FOR OUR STAFF. I REMEMBER YEARS AGO, KATHY, I TOOK IN A BUNCH OF DRESSES, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE’LL DO, YOU KNOW, FORMAL EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND A LOT OF TIMES YOU FEEL LIKE, OKAY, I’VE WORN THAT ONE ENOUGH AND I WANTED THE GIRLS TO GET SOME USE OUT OF IT. AND YOU GUYS JUST WERE FILLED WITH DRESSES. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DONATIONS, RIGHT? TALK TO US ABOUT THAT. IT REALLY IS. I MEAN, WE WE WANT EVERY SINGLE GIRL THAT COMES INTO OUR BOUTIQUE TO FEEL SPECIAL AND TO HAVE SOMETHING FOR THEM. SO WE DRESS. WE HAVE EVERYTHING FROM A SIZE ZERO ALL THE WAY UP TO SOMETIMES A 44, YOU KNOW? SO, I MEAN, WE WILL COVER EVERYONE THAT IS THERE. UM, WE DO USE FUNDRAISING MONEY THAT WE GET IN REVENUES TO PURCHASE SUPPLEMENTAL THINGS THAT WE NEED TO COVER THAT INVENTORY. A LOT OF THE DRESSES THAT WE GET DONATED ARE SIZE 2 TO 12. AND LIKE MOST OF AMERICA, THE DRESSES THAT WE ARE THAT WE NEED ARE SIZE 14 PLUS. SO IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST INVENTORY SO THAT THEY DON’T WALK IN THERE AND SAY, GREAT, NOTHING HERE FITS ME. RIGHT? OKAY, SO TELL ME ABOUT THE FUNDRAISER. WE HAVE A FUNDRAISER COMING UP RIGHT? WE DO. IT’S CALLED PAINT THE CITY PINK, HENCE THE PINK. WELL, PINK IS KINSEY’S CLOSET SIGNATURE COLOR, SO WE LOVE IT. UM, IT’S AT THE VIEW IN MOUNT ADAMS. AND IT IS A WONDERFUL NIGHT OUT. UM, THERE’S GOING TO BE GREAT FOOD. THE AIRWAVE BAND IS GOING TO BE THERE. THEY’LL BE LIVE, LIVE AUCTIONS, RAFFLES, FOOD, FUN, FESTIVITY, AND THE BEST VIEW IN TOWN, I THINK ARGUABLY, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. AND HEATHER, IF MAYBE PEOPLE CAN’T MAKE IT OUT TO THE FUNDRAISER, HOW CAN ANYONE ELSE GET INVOLVED? UH, THEY CAN DONATE. WE HAVE AN AMAZON WISH LIST, SO WE MAKE THE SHOPPING EASY FOR EVERYONE SO YOU CAN GO TO OUR AMAZON WISH LIST. AND WE HAVE ACCESSORIES ON THERE. BLING, PURSES, SHOES, ANYTHING THAT THE GIRLS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FOR PROM. AND WE ALSO TAKE DONATIONS ON OUR WEBSITE. WE HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT LINKS THROUGH PAYPAL AND VENMO, OR THEY CAN CONTACT THE OFFICE AND WE’D BE HAPPY TO HELP. I LOVE HOW PROGRESSIVE YOU GUYS ARE THAT NOW YOU’RE LIKE, OKAY, LET’S MAKE IT EASY. YEAH, MAKE A WISH LIST ON AMAZON. IT MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER FOR US, EVERYONE, TO SHOP FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THE GIRLS. WELL, I CAN’T THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH FOR BEING HERE WITH US, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, FOR WHAT YOU GUYS DO ON A DAILY BASIS OR SEASONAL BASIS FOR THESE GIRLS WHO WOULDN’T OTHERWISE HAVE THE MEANS. IT IS SO EXPENSIVE TO GO TO SOME OF THESE DANCES WITH THE PRICE OF DRESSES. AND AS YOU WERE SAYING, HEATHER, ALL OF THE ACCESSORIES. SO KATHY AND HEATHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. SO IF YOU’D LIKE TO HELP PAINT THE CITY PINK, IT IS HAPPENING FEBRUARY 24TH AGAIN AT THE VIEW IN MOUNT ADAMS. KATHY, YOU’RE RIGHT, IT’S SUCH A GORGEOUS VIEW OF OUR CITY. IT’S THE OLD CELESTIAL, BY THE WAY, IF YOU’RE NOT FAMILIAR SO YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN GET THOSE TICKETS AND LEARN HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED AGAIN AT KENZIE’S CLOSET DOT ORG. ALL OF THA