Winston Salem Times

Burke Street Pub in Winston-Salem may become known as the home of free prom dresses for girls in need.

Hidden away in a storage room of the bar is a room full of semiformal dresses and shoes just begging for a new wearer.

Tiffany Howell, owner of the pub, stumbled onto the cause by accident.

"I've moved these three dresses to every house I've lived in for the last 15 years," she told JournalNow in a recent report, referring to three she has held onto for years. "Just shifting them from closet to closet, and I couldn't figure out why. So I decided to get rid of them."

That was the seed that has since germinated into a way to help girls who might not otherwise be able to enjoy their prom to do just that.

At first, Howell thought she'd try to sell her old dresses just to pick up a few bucks. But the hassle of reselling online wasn't worth it, so she decided she'd donate them. She posted on social media, asking friends if they knew anyone who needed a prom dress but couldn't afford one.

Word spread, and soon others were giving up their one-and-done dresses. Howell has since received inquiries about sponsorship, where other places of business will collect the clothes and shoes and then pass them along to her.