Maria’s Closet hosted their 7th annual Prom Dress Giveaway Experience on March 23, 2025 in San Pedro, California where 340 young women had their prom dreams turn into a reality. The non-profit organization empowers young women by helping make prom possible for those who would otherwise not be able to attend due to financial circumstances. Once a year they transform the Mary Star of the Sea High School gymnasium into a prom shopping experience like no other, housing thousands of gowns, dressing rooms, photo and interview stations, and more. They welcomed long-standing supporter, Vera Jimenez of KTLA5, as a guest speaker to share her words of encouragement and inspiration. The goal: for their participants to leave feeling beautiful, supported, confident, and empowered. They also leave with a brand new gown and accessories of their choosing, as well as a swag bag full of getting ready items, at absolutely no cost to them. They are then able to go on and apply for the scholarship program to receive assistance in pursuing higher education . Maria’s Closet serves high school juniors & seniors from 83 Title 1 schools, 7 Boys & Girls Clubs, 9 foster homes, WCLAC and “I Have a Dream” Foundation, as well as any other girls who are in need of help to make prom a reality, and has given out over $48,000 in scholarships (not including this year’s disbursements).
Ronna Luna, founder and President of Maria’s Closet, started the organization because she believes every young woman deserves the opportunity to attend prom, a hallmark life event in a young person’s life. Circumstance should not define the memories you get to make; and in order to make sure they leave feeling their best selves, Maria’s Closet enlists the help of hundreds of volunteers to create the “shopping experience”. The girls shop alongside a personal stylist volunteer who helps them through the process of navigating thousands of prom gowns ranging from size 00-40. This year the organization had over 250 volunteers to support their Prom Dress Giveaway, which they refer to as the BIG GIVE; it is a day of community and the ultimate display of women supporting women. The group went on to host a smaller event on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at Willenberg Career & Transition Center for young women with disabilities. They create a uniquely tailored Dress Giveaway for their students so that they too can feel like a princess for a day!
From Prom Dress Giveaways to scholarships, the purpose of Maria’s Closet is support – to support young women in their journey of pursuing their dreams. They say, “Once a Maria’s Girl, always a Maria’s Girl”, and that’s because the prom dress is just the beginning. If you’re looking to get involved or for more info: www.mariasclosets.org.
