Scarsdale Students Bring Prom Joy to Teens in Underserved Communities

For many Scarsdale seniors, prom is typically one of the most exciting events of the year. Girls spend months looking at and trying on dresses in an effort to find the perfect one. Sparkly or plain? Pink or blue? However, just a few towns over, there are girls whose questions aren’t solely based on the aesthetics of the dress, but rather whether or not they can afford a dress at all.

Becca’s Closet is a national non-profit organization that collects and distributes prom dresses to girls in underserved communities. Scarsdale graduates Lauren Schwartz ‘25 and Sophia Wu ‘25 founded the Metro NY Chapter of Becca’s Closet in 2023. Several high school students who have been part of Becca’s Closet since the inception have taken over the effort. Maya Rabinovich, a Scarsdale Senior, is the current President of the Metro NY Chapter and Jalyn Ryu, Caroline Wu, Isabella Rabinovich and Rachel Schwartz are senior board members. These Scarsdale girls have been motivated by the disparities and have worked hard to make prom an enjoyable experience regardless of one’s socioeconomic standing.
When the Metropolitan NY chapter started, getting donations proved to be extremely challenging. The girls spent many hours cold calling stores and hosting dress drives in various locations including one at a local synagogue. They were overjoyed to see how much the Scarsdale community cared and wanted to contribute. The girls and parent volunteers would drive to dress stores as far away as other states to get every donation they could. As more stores began donating, their credibility grew and the chapter took off. To date, the chapter has collected approximately one million dollars’ worth of prom dresses, an exponential increase from their first dress drive three years ago.

However, to the girls Becca’s Closet’s impact goes beyond the statistics. Maya states “The small moments of connection with the teens proved that we were making a tangible impact. My favorite part was watching hundreds of girls walk down the red carpet with a smile on their face as they ‘say yes to the dress.’” These moments are what have made the work feel meaningful to the girls involved.

Becca’s Closet is excited for the new prom season. The chapter is planning multiple events this spring including partnerships with several schools such as Mount Vernon High School and Mott School in the Bronx and a prom giveaway event through the Bronx Borough President’s office.

They welcome donations of new and gently worn prom dresses and are also recruiting teens looking for volunteer and leadership opportunities. Please email beccasclosetscarsdale@gmail.com.