Our story is about one survivor of abuse and violent crime was transformed into a vision for a wonderful organization that reaches out to teen girls and young women to assist them with more than just a free formal dress, but an opportunity to step into their God-given purpose and life to their full potential. Out of the ashes comes beauty and the mess becomes a message. 
Mission:
We are a collaborative offering vulnerable teen girls and military women with opportunities to make their hopes and dreams a reality. Providing free formal gowns, resources, advocacy and inspiring events to those with challenging circumstances and providing a pathway to a dignified life and their God-given purpose.
Vision:
The Dresses and Dreams Project is more than just a dress, it’s an experience. Besides our Operation Prom Girl program for teens, we provide gowns, shoes, and jewelry to military women and special needs programs. It is a safe place to learn about identity and healthy relationships; provides resources and support to serve as a pathway to breaking the cycle and embracing her life’s purpose.
Signature Gem: The Pearl
The pearl is our signature gem because of its ability to withstand the elements, to persevere under harsh conditions to become the gem that it is, hidden in a shell for sometimes up to 23 years before emerging in glowy glory! This is sometimes similar to our own lives as our journeys take us through and to the other side of hardship, struggle and turbulence to reveal the plans for our lives, and include the testimonies that God has brought us thorough- the story of grit and grace.
Quick Snapshot:
The Dresses and Dreams Project assists to empower teen girls and women with dresses, to live healthy at a foundational level, realize their purpose in life, and to have opportunity to live life to her full potential.
Located in the Inland Empire in Southern California, we provide much more than a free dress for special events. The organization provides an opportunity for any girl to discover her passion in life and find her purpose. Because of the great need for mentorship and guidance in the lives of challenged teen girls and women, the scope of our vision provides resources and referrals for education and services like suicide, domestic violence, and human trafficking awareness and prevention, pregnancy, healthy relationships and self care, college and career, addiction, trauma recovery and much more.
As an all volunteer organization, we allow God’s hand in all we do and continue to develop our mission; growing and expanding our demographics and geographic locations with appropriate funding and support. Below are some of our programs:
The Operation Prom Girl Program
We have an annual dress extravaganza to assist any high school girl with a hardship or challenging circumstance who finds it difficult to get a dress and other necessary items for her prom. These young women are given the opportunity to attend a free amazing day event where they are loved, empowered, provided with lunch, resources, referrals and career opportunities, fashion show, workshops, and of course a dress, shoes, jewelry and many other services to assist her on her big day.
Dresses For Heroes Program
A new program that serves US military women and wives by providing free formal gowns for their military balls; partnering with other agencies to offer other resources to give her the opportunity to better her quality of life and find her God-given purpose .
Love Shouldn’t Hurt
A domestic violence prevention and healthy relationship workshop in partnership with our friends at SAFE Family Justice Centers. Workshop is free and is for ages 14 and up.
Gamechanger Conference
This free conference provides information and solution to ages 15 and up about real life issues like suicide, mental health, domestic violence, human trafficking, addiction, and teen pregnancy. Our mission is to empower young adults to live life to their fullest and stand in the gap with people and resources to permit them to do so.
Dignified: Spiritual Royalty 101
To allow individuals seeking a connection with God an opportunity to learn about Him and in the process learn how to love who He created them to be: a dignified woman that is loved, seen, and valued- worthy of honor and respect, and secure to allot that same respect to others.
Other Resources and Community Partnerships
~Operation Makeover ( female veterans and military wives)
~Operation Deploy Your Dress- formal gowns to military women in need in SoCal
~Camp Pendleton YMCA- 500 gowns to Marine Corp ball
~Miss Marvelous Pageant (prom for special needs girls)
~Temecula Fashion Week (fundraiser program and fashion show)
~Before the Transition- program for low income and previously incarcerated women who are on a pathway to success through empowerment and job assistance training/placement
~ Tim Tebow Foundation’s annual ” A Night To Shine” event- gowns donated each year to prom for special needs teens hosted by Rancho Church, Temecula
~Foundation For Women Warriors
Our Resource Partners:
Generations Rise- Education and Career
Alcoholics Anonymous- 12 step recovery from alcoholism
Safe Family Justice Centers- Domestic/Family Violence victim advocacy, support, aftercare
Elsinore Valley Pregnancy Resource Centers- pro life pregnancy options and support, counseling, testing, life skills classes
Builders of Faith- Faith based education and support for individuals
Dress For Success- business clothing and self care items for low income women looking for career and professional assistance
~ Human Life Alliance
~ Abundantly Authentic