The Prom Closet has grown from serving 35 young ladies in 2009 to 1,207 in 2018 

St. Andrew United Methodist Church is hosting the 11^th Annual Prom Closet, Feb. 19, 20, 21 (Tues.-Thurs., 4-8 p.m.) and Feb. 23 (Saturday, 9 a.m. – noon), in the Smith Worship Center at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, 75093. (The Prom Closet is closed on Friday, Feb. 22.) Girls from ANYWHERE in need of a prom dress are invited to come select a dress and accessories, all at no cost. This year there are 3,500 available dresses ranging in sizes from 0 to 28, many of which have never been worn. The only requirement is that girls must be present to select their dresses/accessories. Community members, businesses, organizations, and local groups donate dresses, and accessories for this annual event, organized and operated by The St. Andrew United Methodist Women.

“Last year we served 1,207 shoppers from 76 school districts and 204 schools,” said Devra Helffrich, an original organizer of the Prom Closet. “Obviously, we could not do this without the support and donations from the community and our wonderful volunteers. We collect dresses, shoes, jewelry, wraps, handbags, and other accessories year ‘round, and we can’t thank the community enough for helping so many girls’ prom dreams come true. The Prom Closet has grown to be an extraordinary way to reach out and help the community.”

St. Andrew is asking the community to drop off donations of dresses and accessories such as jewelry, handbags, shoes, and wraps at 1401 Mira Vista (east side of the church) in Room 133, Monday – Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. A link on Amazon is available for anyone that would like to help by purchasing items, which will be shipped directly to the church. To review items available for purchase,https://tinyurl.com/PromClosetWishList

The Prom Closet was created to provide a unique shopping experience for young ladies who because of finances would be unable to attend prom.   Prom Closet organizers and volunteers confirm that not only is the need great, but the impact the dress makes on the girl and her family is immeasurable.  Visit www.standrewumc.org/promcloset, email standrewpromcloset@gmail.com, or call 469-385-1810 for more information.

“Every year, the Prom Closet results in so many stories of appreciation from girls who received dresses, and many are quite unique,” added Helffrich. “This year the Prom Closet worked with a group of girls from the McKinney High School Girl Empowerment Program, a program which was created to help young ladies learn the art of being able to lift each other up instead of pulling each other down.  Upon the completion of the program’s weekly projects during the school year, a ball is held to showcase their accomplishments and honor those who helped. The girls needed long dresses for the ball, and the Prom Closet volunteers worked with each girl to find the perfect dress.”

“We are all so appreciative of the Prom Closet and the wonderful ladies that not only helped the girls find a dress but also made them look and feel beautiful,” said Natasha Hayden, CIS Site Coordinator for McKinney High School. “The girls had to learn a waltz for the ball, where they were escorted by positive male role models including several members of the McKinney Police Department.  The Prom Closet was a wonderful example to the girls of what it means to be a team player.”

Area school counselors have been provided information about the annual Prom Closet on their campuses.  Students must be present to shop for selection of dress and accessories. Shopping will take place at the church, in the Smith Worship Center, at St. Andrew UMC, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano. Park in the west parking lot off Plano Parkway. The church buildings are currently under renovation so please look for the Prom Closet directional signs.

DFW Archives Bazaar: Sunday, October 14, 1 p.m.- 5 p.m. FREE (no admission charge that day)

Join archivists, museum curators, librarians, and history professionals from all across the DFW area at the Dallas Heritage Village, 1515 S. Harwood, on Sunday, October 14, 2018,from      1-5 p.m. for the DFW Archives Bazaar. Professionals from institutions such as UNT, SMU, UT-Dallas, Fort Worth and Dallas Public Library, Dallas Holocaust Museum, The Amon Carter Museum, Dallas Municipal Archives, NARA, and the Sixth Floor Museum (just to name a few) are responsible for helping to preserve the history and culture of communities in North Texas. They will be on hand to share their knowledge and help preserve your history. Learn all about the history of North Texas and the people that help preserve it for the next generation!

What you can see/do/learn:

Let the professionals show you the cool items that they have in their collections.

Learn how to preserve and digitize rare materials.

Learn how to conduct oral histories in your community.

Learn how to access historic research materials.

Other events during the Bazaar:

There will be a speaker series, door prizes, and more. All attendees of the DFW Archives Bazaar will receive free access to the rest of the park, and everyone is encouraged to picnic on the grounds (food and beverages will also be available for purchase).

For more information about Dallas Heritage Village, please call the main line at 214-421-5141 or visit www.dallasheritagevillage.org

Construction to begin immediately for a dedicated and expanded space for The Storehouse of Collin County as well as improvements to the Children’s and Students’ Ministries and parking

A groundbreaking ceremony and special event held on August 26 launched Phase 2 of St. Andrew United Methodist Church’s $16.5 million ChurchOne capital campaign. The campaign was designed in 2016 to address the growing needs of the church in the first two phases of a 30-year master plan. Construction begins immediately to build a dedicated missions area for The Storehouse of Collin County as well as provide improvements to the Children’s and Students’ Ministries and additional parking. It is estimated that Phase 2 construction will be completed in 13 months. Phase 1 which was completed in April, was the renovation of the sanctuary to accommodate present and future worship at St. Andrew.

“As we stand here today, I think back to 1990 when we had a group gathered in this same spot to break ground on our first building just behind me,” said Senior Pastor Robert Hasley. “Today we are here to remember those who came before and made all of this possible. You are the founding members for the next 30 years as we offer the love of Christ to children, students, and those who need a helping hand.”

The Storehouse of Collin County, a nonprofit which began at St. Andrew and is housed on its campus, has been operating within the students’ wing of St. Andrew since it first opened in 2009. It is the umbrella of services providing short-term assistance and long-term transformation to residents of Collin County in need and includes the Seven Loaves Food Pantry, serving 1,000 families a month; Joseph’s Coat Clothing Closet, providing an average of 4,000 garments each month; and Project Hope, a mentoring program supporting women in crisis. The nonprofit, which has increased the number of families served by 11 percent in the last year, was honored on September 14 with the North Texas Food Bank’s (NTFB) Partner Agency of the Year Excellence in Impact Award – NTFB’S most prestigious partner agency award. NTFB has 216 partner agencies within the 13-county area it serves.

The Storehouse of Collin County is an agency that provides life changing services for their clients by meeting multiple needs for each family served,” said Trisha Cunningham, president & CEO of NTFB. “While all of our Partner Agencies lend a hand to those in need, this agency strives to lend a hand up.” 

“The Storehouse is humbled by this honor as we go forward helping our neighbors in need every day,” said Candace Winslow, executive director, The Storehouse of Collin County. “We are so excited about our new facility, which will not only provide us with a dedicated space in which to serve others but also enable us to continue to grow.”

The new construction of 1,200 square feet will be the Storehouse’s hospitality and sign-in entrance and includes a mezzanine and a welcoming awning. The interior renovation of 3,500 square feet will include a kitchen, a walk-in fridge and walk-in freezer. 

The primary improvements for St. Andrew’s Children’s Ministry include the Children’s entrance, the addition of the indoor play space on the main level and tie-ins for the children’s area at each level. This is 970 square feet of new construction (three stories tall) and 3,150 square feet of renovation. 

The Students’ Ministry, gaining the most new square footage with 9,450, includes a lobby entrance facing Mira Vista Road, breakout spaces for small groups and two new gyms that are designed to also serve as worship facilities. In addition, there will be 4,500 square feet of renovation for a game area and a new students’ department office on the second floor.

Regarding parking, over 100 new spots are being added around the campus, with the most new spots in the southeastern corner, near the intersection of Mira Vista Boulevard and Plano Parkway.

“Without Rev. Robert Hasley, none of us would be standing here today,” added Rev. Arthur Jones, senior associate pastor. “The main thing I have learned from Robert over my years at St. Andrew is that we have to look forward, and I’m thrilled to be looking forward with all of you here today.  It’s an exciting day in the life of St. Andrew.”

Fifty-five volunteers joined the staff of The Storehouse of Collin County on August 8 to distribute  backpacks to over 500 children who were registered participants in the  Seven Loaves Food Pantry, a program of The Storehouse of Collin County. Throughout the summer, The Storehouse received donations from the community to provide each child with a backpack, a basic set of school supplies, and a gift card to Old Navy for school uniforms. The afternoon included fun activities for the children including snow cones and a craft station.  Families also received tomatoes and fresh fruit. An additional 160 backpacks were provided the following the day to families coming to the Seven Loaves Food Pantry.

The Storehouse Executive Director Candace Winslow and COO/General Manager for the Seven Loaves Food Pantry Terry Breedlove greeted volunteers, which included many from Young Men’s Service League and National Charity League.

“Today is so much more than backpack distribution,” said Winslow. “The backpacks and the supplies and even the snow cones are simply the items we use to show our neighbors in Collin County that we care about them.  As volunteers you have the wonderful opportunity today to connect with a child to make them feel valued and loved.”

“Education provides opportunities for growth and overcoming life’s hardships,” added Terry Breedlove. “Every child in our community deserves the chance to be equipped with the tools to succeed in school.”

The children were all smiles as they had the opportunity to choose the color and style of backpack they wanted. As they exited with their new backpacks, they also received personal, handwritten notes of encouragement for the new school year prepared by a youth group in memory of a classmate who had passed away in an accident.

For more information about the Storehouse of Collin County or to make a donation, visit www.thestorehousecc.org or call 468-385-1815. Donations may also be mailed to The Storehouse of Collin County, 1401 Mira Vista Blvd., Plano, Texas  75093.

“We are so grateful for all of those who contributed to this important effort,” added Winslow. “For those struggling to put food on the table, school supplies are far outside family budgets. Contributions help us to lift this expensive burden for so many families. Last year, one family shared that not only is this is one less thing they had to worry about when preparing for the school year, but it also showed her children the importance of being prepared and having what they needed when they started school.”

The Storehouse of Collin County, a nonprofit organization housed within St. Andrew United Methodist Church, is the umbrella of services providing short-term assistance and long-term transformation to residents of Collin County in need: the Seven Loaves Food Pantry, serving 1,000 families a month; Joseph’s Coat Clothing Closet, providing an average of 4,000 garments each month; and Project Hope, a mentoring program supporting women in crisis. The program first began in 2009 under the name of Seven Loaves which provided only food pantry staples and grew over the years to meet a variety of needs. An estimated 130,000 people in Collin County live below the poverty level, more than half of which are children. Visit www.thestorehousecc.org.