CINCINNATI — It’s prom dress season and teens are out looking for the perfect dress. One southwest Ohio organization is stepping up to help build girls’ confidence one dress at a time. 

Kya Ellen has been in search of the perfect dress for prom for a while now. She reached out for assistance from Cinderella’s Closet, a free dress shop for under-resourced children.

There, they matched her with a fairy godmother to help her pick one out. And after a thorough search, she tried on four dresses. 

“It was easy and I really like how supportive the staff is here,” said Ellen. “They all just hyped me up and they were so kind.”

After trying on all the dresses, she finally found the perfect one. She says she feels absolutely beautiful in it.

“It was just like the way I felt when I put it on. I kind of just lit up in my heart,” she said. 

The mission of this nonprofit is to help high school girls recognize their beauty and value through a unique prom shopping experience. All the girls need is a referral and appointment to explore a variety of over 1,200 gently used or new dresses, all for free. 

“I was about to cry because it’s so kind and I thought no way because the dress is so pretty and everyone is so nice,” she said. 

After finding the perfect dress, she then looked at the shoes to find the perfect heels. A glittery pair was by far her favorite. Now with a new dress and heels, she said she’s feeling more confident and excited for prom. 

“I was really nervous because I knew we would have to buy the dress in a month, before prom, and I was wondering if there would be any dresses,” she said. “So now that I have one, I’m really excited.”