by April Donauer

The trees are already looking bare, we have a couple of snowy days under our belts, and grad season seems like a lifetime ago. All the same, we would like to take some time and reflect on our 2018 Princess Graduates. They are strong, they are intelligent, they are brave, and they are GRADUATED. Here at The Princess Shop, we feel a sense of pride when we send out the dresses on grad days. Each dress belongs to a girl who has reached a truly special milestone and each girl has had her own journey. We celebrate each journey and congratulate each achievement. 

This past grad season was a truly remarkable one. What made it particularly special was that it could not have been possible without the support of our community. We had volunteers help mend dresses, volunteers assist in appointments, businesses that donated funds, hair services given, make-up services given, photography services given, and dresses donated. All this to say, The Princess Shop had been able to give back because so much has been given through the support of our community. Thank-You.  

Don't have much time to join our volunteer team as a coordinator? No problem. While we are looking for the right people to fill those important roles, we also thrive from the additional support we receive through various ways that don't require year-round commitment.

#1 Follow us on Social Media 
We mean actually following the page and sharing our posts and engaging with them (liking and commenting). This keeps us relevant in the feed and raises awareness of our successes and programs. Maybe you'll be the connection between us and a new sponsor or volunteer? Who knows?

Find us on Facebook & Instagram

#2 Join our Helping Hands list
This is a casual volunteer opportunity and the commitment is when you choose it to be! Those on our Helping Hands list receive emails when we are seeking help. Those who can, sign up; those who cannot, continue with their day as if nothing happened. No stress! Options range from Glass Slipper event help to Dress Appointment support. Email us with your contact information if you're interested! Contact us to put your name and email on this list.

#3 Coming Forward with a Special Skill You'd Like to Contribute
Do you enjoy sewing? There are plenty of small sewing jobs on dresses that range from beginner to expert. We have sewing supplies here so you can just come on in during our office hours and repair some dresses! Other ideas are running errands for us such as picking up donations from our donation partners, or coming forward with a fundraising idea!

#4 Attend an Event (and Bring All Your Friends)
As a small nonprofit organization doing big things in our community, we really rely on support from all angles. We do our own fundraising throughout the year, and would love to have you attend one of our many amazing events throughout the year (hint: Save the Date for April 10th - Glass Slipper Benefit).

#5 Join our Core Volunteer Team
Okay - so we have to add this option in just in case! Are you ready to jump in and be a part of the decision-making and direct impact? Check out our volunteer positions currently open by clicking here. Being a part of the core team provides so much benefit such as a new perspective, practicing real interpersonal and professional skills, enhancing your creative brainstorming, and seeing your ideas come to life because we can!

We are always happy to help and answer your questions, so contact us!

Volunteering at The Princess Shop provides so many life-changing opportunities for individuals – and we aren’t just talking about the 1,000+ at-risk women we have impacted on graduation day and beyond with our additional programming offering mentorship or scholarships… but the volunteers!

At The Princess Shop, our volunteers aren’t here to just do menial tasks (okay, about twice a year they will stuff envelopes), they are here to create the impact. This comes in many forms throughout the seasons of a year, but where it is truly special is through the opportunity to not just be a part of the impact, but create the impact through building opportunities, solving problems, an generating new ideas and goals.

There are so many benefits to volunteering at The Princess Shop, but here are a few key highlights:

1-Positive Team Culture – this is our secret weapon. We are all in this together to create the impact. Everyone’s ideas are welcomed to the table. In addition, this means no one is ever alone. We work as a team to complete tasks and keep the momentum moving forward.

2-Empower – through our positive team culture, volunteers at The Princess Shop become empowered to bring ideas to the table that will change lives. For example, Jasmine, our Next Chapter Program Coordinator, thought of the idea for a housing scholarship to assist with living costs for a Princess Graduate attending post-secondary schooling. The result? A full year free rent with Boardwalk. This idea emerged in autumn of 2017, and our first recipient of this scholarship got the keys to her new home August 2018.

3-Creativity – as a small nonprofit organization, we have the power to make our decisions to best suit the organization. This means we get to exercise our creativity skillsets when it comes to problem solving and idea generation.

4-Learning – interpersonal and professional skills are a major takeaway for volunteer team members. Part of this comes from confidence built through our positive team culture and putting into practice skills that make real-life results.

5-Fulfillment – again, being a direct impact on the lives of at-risk students as they prepare for graduation, post-secondary, career, and life goals, comes with direct fulfillment. We are so proud of our Princess Graduates when they reach that graduation day milestone, get accepted into post-secondary, or get a great job. We help motivate them at their dress appointments by sharing with them all of the opportunities to continue to be a part of The Princess Shop community.

Interested in joining us yet?  Visit this page to check out our amazing volunteer opportunities.