Olney,, Ill. – Creating a true Cinderella experience for local teens, Geneva Forys opened Cinderella’s Threads Dress Shop in 2017, offering $5 dresses and a magical experience for those couldn’t afford the expense of a new prom dress. Forys has since expanded to offer wedding dresses, tuxedos, semi-formal dresses and business attire for rent at low prices, helping others shine on their most important days. In recognition of Forys’ dedication, she has received the “Good Neighbor” Award inspired by Fred Rogers for his service as an educator and all-around great neighbor and community member.
WISU Public Broadcasting, a service of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, created the “Good Neighbor” Awards to recognize those who make a positive impact in the community. Each month during 2019, winners will be chosen from nominations submitted by the public.
Forys originally opened Cinderella’s Threads in her spare bedroom “to make sure that those who couldn’t afford a new dress would still be able to get to go to the dance and have their Cinderella night.” At the time, she had collected 20 dresses, two pairs of shoes and a couple of pieces of jewelry with the goal of helping 30 to 40 local girls. She has since supported nearly 1,500 people in the community with special formal wear for events and photo shoots.
“Within just a couple of months, we ended up with 150 dresses, so we set up shop in my dining room until we realized we needed an even bigger space,” she said. A local landlord offered a one-bedroom apartment for a low fee, but the dress shop soon outgrew that space as well. Forys doesn’t make money on the rentals so when “I decided to start looking for a storefront to rent, I was very nervous about the extra cost,” but ended up building the perfect spot – just across the street from her previous location.
Last summer, “we packed up our things, rolled our dress racks across the street and moved into our current location” at 431 Whittle Ave., she added. “We have been very excited to have room to spread out and to start carrying wedding dresses and tuxedos.”
Forys’ future plans include a greater focus on business attire to help with interviews and weekly work. “Our goal is to help those who want to better their lives, which will help boost our local economy.”
With sizes from 00 to 38, Cinderella’s Threads Dress Shop serves as a great neighbor with unbeatable prices, which essentially cover the cost of dry cleaning. Dresses are $10; tuxedos are $25 and wedding dresses rent for $50. Shoes and jewelry can also be rented for $5 to complete a look. The shop now has about 1,000 dresses, 100 tuxedos, 50 wedding dresses, 200 pairs of shoes, 100 jewelry sets and more options than ever for “those who want to have a magical time at their event without having to break the bank to purchase new items.”
“Being a good neighbor to me is finding what you’re passionate about and using that passion to serve those around you,” said Forys, who raves about the Olney community and finds it ironic that she is now an expert on dresses since she has two boys. “There is one word to sum up how I feel when helping others: blessed. My motto is ‘be blessed, be a blessing.’”
“A good neighbor looks out for all in the community, no matter what their tax bracket or social status,” said Brandi Jellison, who nominated Forys for the award. “Geneva is a genuine, caring person who just wants to help every girl have the night of her dreams. She will help any girl who comes in, no matter what their circumstances. She frequents dress sales and is always looking out for the latest trends, so that her girls have the best choices. She will even alter dresses. She has helped hundreds of girls since she opened in 2017 – girls come from all over the state to rent from Cinderella’s Threads.”
Clients have raved about the shop’s beautiful dresses, awesome customer service and nice atmosphere as well as the unbeatable prices. Many local girls bring in their gently used dresses to help those in the community who cannot afford a new one.
Forys continues to donate her time and energy to support those in the community looking for an extra-special outfit or event. Cinderella’s Threads accepts donations of dresses, tuxedos, accessories and cash to support more teens and adults. Donations can be dropped off at the store or arrange for pick up by contacting 618-843-6694.
About One Region All Neighbors
Inspired by the life and legacy of Fred Rogers and in honor of his vision, WSIU’s One Region, All Neighbors initiative encourages community members to nominate those who are making positive contributions through acts of kindness, compassion and service. Each month, winners are chosen from nominations submitted by the public in five categories—individual, youth, educator, community group, and business. WSIU recognizes these winners on its television and radio stations, website and social media. All awardees and nominators will be invited to attend a special ceremony where they will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to their communities. Nominate Your Neighbors WSIU encourages the public to participate in One Region, All Neighbors campaign by nominating neighbors online at https://ift.tt/2qFWiD3 sharing on social media using #WeAreAllNeighbors. About WSIU Public Broadcasting WSIU Public Broadcasting is licensed to the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University and is an integral part of the College of Mass Communication & Media Arts on the Carbondale campus. The WSIU stations reach more than five million people across six states and beyond through five digital public television channels, three public radio stations, a radio information service, a website and education and outreach services. They partner with other community organizations to promote positive change and to support the academic and public service missions of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Learn more and get the latest station news online at wsiu.org and on WSIU's Facebook and Twitter pages.
Contact
Phone: 618.453.4343
Fax: 618.453.6186
Email: contact@wsiu.org
"Dress" - Google News
December 11, 2019 at 02:13PM
https://ift.tt/2ryzlSE
Fairytale Comes to Life as Owner of Dress Shop Receives 'Good Neighbor' Award Inspired by Fred Rogers - Kewanee Star Courier
"Dress" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2KksXom
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Fairytale Comes to Life as Owner of Dress Shop Receives 'Good Neighbor' Award Inspired by Fred Rogers - Kewanee Star Courier"
Post a Comment