GRASS VALLEY, Calif. – The Nevada County Cinderella Project boutique special event will be held Saturday, April 18, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. inside Native Wren, a popular apparel, décor and gifts store at 125 Mill Street in downtown Grass Valley.
With school proms and graduations just a few weeks away, Bright Futures for Youth’s Cinderella Project will provide free dresses, suits, tuxedos and other formal clothes at Native Wren.
“We are excited to have the boutique open before the community’s high school and junior high school prom and graduation season,” said Jennifer Singer, Executive Director of Bright Futures for Youth. “We greatly appreciate Wyrnna Kohler, owner of Native Wren, for opening the Cinderella Project in her boutique to help meet the needs of young people in our community.”
Bright Futures for Youth oversees the Cinderella Project, which provides free formal wear for special events to high school, junior high and younger college students. Bright Futures for Youth is best known for its three core programs – The Friendship Club, NEO and SAFE, which helps young people experiencing homelessness.
Kohler, a graduate of The Friendship Club, an after-school program through Bright Futures, is donating the basement space for the Cinderella Project.
“The Cinderella Project helps students find just-the-right clothes for these special events without worrying about the cost,” said Kohler, a member of the Bright Futures for Youth Board of Directors. “We want students to enjoy these once-in-a-lifetime experiences that provide such wonderful memories.”
Community members donate formal clothes – from classic gowns, modern dresses and accessories to suits and tuxedos – to the Cinderella Project, helping students attend special events while gaining more space in their closets. Clothes donations are accepted at Bright Futures for Youth, 200 Litton Drive, Suite 308 in Grass Valley, from 9-5, Monday-Friday.
“The Cinderella Project is a grassroots effort that helps many of the young people participating in Bright Futures for Youth programs – and many others throughout the community,” Singer said. “The prom, graduation, homecoming and other special events should be about spending time with friends and fun, not worrying about the cost of a dress or suit. We are very grateful that Native Wren has made space available in such a great location in a high-profile shop.”
Bright Futures for Youth took over the Cinderella Project in 2022. The Cinderella Project is considered a natural fit for the nonprofit, which serves about 1 of every 12 young people in western Nevada County.
“The Cinderella Project boutique will help make dreams come true and I’m excited to provide this space,” said Kohler, who also has a nonprofit, The Giving Wren Foundation. “Everyone should be able to enjoy a special event and dream a little.”
ABOUT BRIGHT FUTURES FOR YOUTH
Bright Futures for Youth is a nonprofit committed to making a life-changing difference for children and young adults in Nevada County. Bright Futures for Youth – created by the merger of The Friendship Club and NEO Youth Center in 2020 – has three core programs: The Friendship Club, NEO and SAFE, which helps youth facing housing insecurity. Bright Futures for Youth programs connect youth to positive experiences, relationships and environments to build resiliency today and into the future. The original organization started in 1995. For more information, visit www.bffyouth.org or Facebook at Facebook.com/BrightFuturesforYouth.