MARYVILLE, Tenn. — It was a special day at RIO Revolution Church. Second Chance Prom Ministry held its annual formal wear event on Saturday.
During the event, thousands of prom, homecoming and wedding dresses were donated.
"We have thousands of dresses for people to come and choose one at no charge," Ashley Fontenot, ministry leader, said. "We give them a consultant to kind of walk their way through and help them find their perfect dress. Then we do makeup, tanning, all that for no charge."
Second Chance Prom Ministry helps alleviate the cost of formal events for people because the dresses are free. People who utilize the ministry are encouraged to return the formal wear after their events are over.
"We were homeless, we had just moved back so we were homeless, jobless, and to come in and have something so wonderful be blessed with us," Jennifer Olsen Place, a volunteer, said. "We got the wedding dress, my husband got his shirt, his tie, his vest, my son got his shirt, his tie, so we had everything we needed to make our day special."
The goal was to make every person feel amazing on their formal night and that's exactly what happened.
"That's why we do what we do," Fontenot said. "That smile and feeling confident and knowing that she doesn't have to break the bank to feel beautiful and special on her wedding day is why we do what we do even if it's just one person. That's why we set this up every year and make it happen."