Westminster nonprofit seeks home for 500+ prom dresses

Sitting in a Westminster warehouse are racks and racks of formal dresses, about 500 varying in shape, size and color.

They belong to Rita's Closet, a nonprofit that gives away a scholarship and free prom dresses and sells gently used gowns at a discounted price. Soon, there won't be a place to store the donated clothing, as the organization needs to be out of its current space in the near future.

So, Tamara Medeiros is in search of a permanent place - as quickly as possible.

"I really want a regular home - a place where I can say this is where Rita's Closet is. 'Oh you need a dress? Contact her.' 'Come here,'" said Medeiros.

She founded the nonprofit in 2012 to honor her daughter Rita, a triplet who died in a car accident two years ago.

Rita's Closet recently moved into a warehouse connected to the Carroll County Department of Social Services to share space with another clothing donation nonprofit called The Workshop. Medeiros moved the dresses from her Westminster home into the warehouse about a month ago.

But the building owner recently found a lessee to rent the space that was previously empty, and the two nonprofits learned they needed to move a few weeks ago, Medeiros said.

The Workshop, run by DSS adult services case worker Ann Thomas, donated its roughly 10 racks of suits, jackets, skirts, sweaters and other professional attire to Goodwill. For several years, the nonprofit provided free job interview and work-wear to those in need, such as residents who were recently released from jail and others.

It moved from the garage of a DSS board of directors member to the warehouse about two months ago, and Thomas had finished organizing the space when she found out the nonprofit would need to move again. It was a side project for Thomas, and the constant search for space had become a challenge, she said, so she opted to donate the clothes to Goodwill.

But Rita's Closet is here to stay in the county, Medeiros said. She's just not sure where.

"We'd love a permanent place," she said. "It's very hard to move the dresses and find a place to keep them where it's temperature controlled."

And while a permanent home would be optimum, she said, right now, even six months would be great, which is more than enough time to get through prom season located in the same space. Even an upstairs spot in an old house would do.

Last year, Rita's Closet gave away 18 prom dresses to high schoolers in need. Guidance counselors send the names of students who would benefit from a free dress to Medeiros, who sets up appointments with each.

Additionally, the nonprofit held a fundraiser and tea at The Portico at St. John Catholic Church last year, where it sold dresses for a nominal fee. The organization may ask $60 for a dress that could have originally been priced at $400, Medeiros said. It sold 20 to 25 dresses last year.

The nonprofit also gave away a $1,000 scholarship to a Westminster High School student, which is an offering Medeiros hopes to expand.

Her overall vision for the nonprofit is to provide more scholarships to students and to have a permanent home. That way, students gearing up for prom could try on the dress in a nice space, and residents could drop off donated dresses in the same spot.

"I have dresses being dropped off at my home, friends bringing me dresses," Medeiros said. "We're fully organized. It's just a matter of getting this home."