BATAVIA, IL — On a mission to assist low-income and homeless Batavia families, Chip In Batavia is returning with its ninth annual prom dress giveaway event March 18.
With a focus on people in the Batavia area, the program is open to any student, regardless of need, from any school district. In 2022, the program provided more than 300 dresses to students from the Tri-Cities as well as Chicago.
Chip In Batavia — an acronym for Community Helpers Impacting People in Need — is a restricted fund within the Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence, a nonprofit organization.
“The goal is to ensure that all students, regardless of income status, can enjoy this rite of passage and not sit out due to the typically high expense,” organizers said in a news release.
A longtime partner of Chip In Batavia, the Batavia Public Library will host the collection drive and giveaway event, where accepts clean dresses — as well as shoes, purses and accessories — in good to excellent condition. Hair items, new makeup and wraps can also be dropped off.
Donations can be dropped off at the library, 10 S. Batavia Ave., between Feb. 1 and March 17. Tax donation letters will also be available at the check-out desk. Anyone with questions about the donation can contact the library at 630-879-1393 for more information.
“We encourage students to come with friends or family,” organizers said. “It is a lot of fun and the dresses are gorgeous.”
