For nearly a decade now, a back room of the church has been storing gowns in order to help folks who don't have or want to spend $100 to $600 on a dress they will likely only wear once. The Blessed Dress Ministry serves the community by giving these gently used dresses away for free.
On Wednesday night, a half-dozen volunteers gathered to rummage through hundreds of gowns checking on sizes and determining if they were in need of some spot cleaning or discarding. They found a few that had perhaps already spent all the magic one dress could have on someone else's fairytale night. They even found a man's suit somehow in the mix. Some got the Magic Eraser treatment.
From goofy to sleek to "too short for anyone to wear," they have just about any style of gown one could imagine.
"If someone wants to be a princess, [this is the dress]," said Sarah DeLong who has volunteered for a few years.
Kean said that because of COVID they didn't advertise this year outside of Venango County but said these gowns are for whoever needs one.
Embroidered gowns are also a smart fashion statement, especially with a rhinestone embellishment. The website also thinks boldly featuring your back will be a head-turner statement as well as one-shoulder dresses that give an asymmetrical look.
And yes all of these styles and more can be found crammed onto the racks in this church.
There are two chances to peruse the many dresses - Thursday (tonight) from 7 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. The church is located at 350 Front Street, Franklin. For more information, you can call them at 814-432-8664 or visit them on Facebook.