by Stacy Jackson
March 14, 2024
Professional seamstress Merle Skipwith has opened her prom showroom every year since 2012 for girls to get dresses and shoes for free.
In a heartwarming display of generosity, Merle Skipwith, fondly known as “Mz. Skippy [sic],” plays the role of a modern-day fairy godmother, making prom dresses and dreams come true for hundreds of high-school-aged teens living in South Fulton County, Georgia, who can’t afford fancy gowns.
Not skipping a beat, every March since 2012, the great-great-grandmother opens her prom showroom in Old National Market and Mall in College Park, Georgia, offering a magical experience for girls who want to attend the popular high school event, according to WSB-TV Channel 2 in Atlanta.
Skipwith told the news outlet about her showroom’s visitors, painting a vivid picture of the wide-reaching impact her efforts have on those in need: “I’ve had dads bring their daughters here, and they came on a bus. I had students who lived underneath a bridge and wanted to go to prom for the first time.”
She also told WSB-TV Channel 2 in Atlanta, “It’s the time of the year when our young ladies can look their very, very best. And that’s prom time.”
The dresses, both brand-new and gently worn, are completely free, along with shoes and alterations provided by Skipwith, a professional seamstress.
“These dresses cost a lot of money. You add the shoes on top of that,” she said about the financial burden that prom can impose.
Skipwith’s generosity has inspired others to pay it forward. Michele Telfair, whose daughter donated her prom dress from the previous year, shared: “I told her [my daughter] to donate it. She was like, ‘I can sell this dress.’ No. Give it to Mz. Skippy, and you’ll be blessed with more.”
Skipwith told WSB-TV Channel 2 in Atlanta, “This is something that is everlasting. You’ll never forget your first prom.”
After their magical nights spent adorned from head to toe thanks to their fairy godmother, some of the girls even send pictures to Skipwith, cementing the everlasting memories she helps create.
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