Articles

Cinderella’s Closet turns ‘stressed’ into ‘dressed’

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Mariah Haddenham
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam --  Looking to go to a fancy event, but don't have a fairy godmother or mice to sew a beautiful gown?

Volunteers at the Andersen Cinderella's Closet, located in the Spouse House, on 1958-B Guadalcanal drive in base housing, fill in for the fairy godmother by providing Airmen and family members with a dress for events.

All dresses collected by Cinderella's Closet are donations handed in by generous people to be put to good use instead of hanging in a closet taking up space and collecting dust. Donations can be made at any time by getting in contact with a volunteer or dropping by the Cinderella's Closet when it is open for business.

"Being able to contribute to the community and make this resource available for women is my favorite part of volunteering and being a part of Cinderella's Closet," said Carolyn Rousey, Cinderella's Closet volunteer.

The Cinderella's Closet is solely run by the wives of seven chief master sergeants stationed at Andersen and houses approximately 250 dresses available in a variety of sizes, colors and lengths. The dresses are signed out for the week that surrounds an event, and are available to any rank.

"We have dresses that are perfect for any formal occasion such as holiday parties, Airman Leadership School graduations, awards ceremonies, or any event that may fall in between," said Judy Slisik, Cinderella's Closet lead volunteer .

When a dress is borrowed for an extravagant event, the user is asked to return the dress in the same condition. There is no smoking allowed around the dress and alterations cannot be made to the outfit. Additionally, the borrower must follow the cleaning instructions before returning it to the closet when they are finished.

"Donating a previously worn gown can help someone else have a special night, and without straining their budget," Slisik said. "We eliminate the stress of shopping for a gown and save your own closet space from having to store the gown later."

"It's just so nice that we have the ability to continue a program like this," Slisik said. "It runs on donations and the help of our volunteers."

Finding a dress on Guam can become difficult, with limited options and pricing, so the Cinderella's Closet, sponsored by the Andersen's Chief Group, was started by a group of spouses in 2012 as a way for women to find a gown without the shopping and expenses.

For more information about the Cinderella's Closet or to schedule an appointment, contact Slisik at 969-7410.


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