Loading...If you were to look into a bedroom closet in the rectory of Trinity Episcopal Church (Renovo), you would be surprised to find nearly forty prom dresses, dress shoes, and purses.
But this closet tells a story about social ministry in the parish. When Lynne Anne Ransom, a former teacher at Bucktail High School in Renovo and a parishioner at Trinity-Renovo, heard a lament from several high school girls about not being able to afford a nice dress for a school dance, she posted a note to friends on Facebook. She asked whether they could donate a dress to help these young women. The response was overwhelming.
First one friend and then another volunteered a dress. Other people offered a financial gift to help meet this need. Within a couple of weeks Lynne Anne had a collection of forty dresses. All of the clothing was transported to the rectory, cleaned, and arranged by size. The young women who needed a dress came to the rectory, and several volunteers helped the women select a dress and appropriate accessories. All that the parish expected was that the young women would return the dress after the party or prom so that others could benefit. The students were very grateful for this assistance, and so were their parents. Dee Calhoun, priest at Trinity, noted that the parish was delighted to provide this ministry to the community.
This year Lynne Anne hopes to involve high school students directly in running this social ministry, which benefits any student who wishes to use the service – it is not restricted to members of the parish.
