Comerica Bank collects dresses for teens in need

METRO DETROIT — Comerica Bank is welcoming donations for its sixth annual Prom Dress Drive beginning Monday, March 18, and continuing through Friday, April 12, in support of community partner Jackets for Jobs. Individuals and businesses alike can drop off new or gently used dresses, along with accessories, such as jewelry, shoes, purses, and wraps, at participating Comerica locations to benefit southeast Michigan students.

Ten Comerica Bank banking centers and offices throughout metro Detroit will serve as collection sites. For the first time, Comerica will be accepting the donations of dresses and accessories over a four-week span, the longest donation period since Comerica’s Prom Dress Drive first began in 2017.

For the second consecutive year, Comerica will supply the donated dresses and accessories to Jackets for Jobs, a Detroit-based nonprofit that focuses on career development and removes barriers by providing high-quality clothing that makes clients look and feel professional to support workplace success.

“Teaming up with Jackets for Jobs was incredibly successful last year. We appreciate the passion of Alison Vaughn and her team in their commitment to reach and positively impact our youth during this very impressionable and important time in their lives,” Steve Davis, the Comerica Bank Michigan market president said in a press release. “Each year, we are truly grateful for the support we receive from our customers and communities throughout the Metro Detroit area during this effort. Their generosity makes our Prom Dress Drive possible.”

Cumulatively across its last five Prom Dress Drives, Comerica has collected more than 7,700 dresses, including a record of over 2,200 last year. They benefited local teens who may not otherwise be able to afford formal attire and experience the high school tradition of prom.

“Our mission is to empower others to achieve great things by providing them with the resources to help overcome barriers that exist,” Alison Vaughn, Jackets for Jobs’ founder and executive director, said in a press release. “Clothing and attire, whether for the workplace or special events, can stand in the way of meaningful experiences and achievements. Our goal in partnering with Comerica is to open the door for success. Teens are vulnerable, and we hope that our boutique can offer them excitement and inspiration as they look forward to some of their most special moments of their teen years.”

Individuals and local businesses seeking to donate dresses and accessories to the Comerica Prom Dress drive can do so at locations:1969 W. Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor, 36440 Woodward Avenue in Bloomfield Hills, 3910 Telegraph Road., Ste. 100 in Bloomfield Hills, 16150 Michigan Avenue in Dearborn, 415 Fisher Road in Grosse Pointe, 50300 Gratiot Avenue in New Baltimore, 129 E. Main Street in Northville, 47440 Grand River in Novi, and 3021 Walton Boulevard in Rochester Hills.

Those donating dresses and accessories to the Comerica Prom Dress Drive in Detroit can also do so by dropping off items in the main lobby of the Comerica Bank Center at 411 W. Lafayette Street.