Durfee trio, members of community, help make sure students are dressed sharp

Thanks to Durfee and community members, students are now sharply dressed for those special moments.

According to Fall River Public Schools, Sophomores Darwin Herrera, Bruna Lobo, and Junior Malianet Berrios-Valcarcel have transformed what was once a small meeting room into a Formal and Professional Closet for students at Durfee.

Today at the closet there are more than 120 dresses available, free of charge, to any student who may need one. The closet has already dressed 12 students for Junior Prom and will continue to be available through Senior Prom in May. In addition to dresses, there are also suits, ties, and shoes available to students.

FRPS stated that at the beginning of March, the Cosmetology students approached their teacher, Mrs. Torres, with the idea for a Community Service Project that would benefit kids at Durfee and give the group an opportunity to attend the Skills USA Competition. Since then, the students have been working tirelessly to get the closet up and running.

Members of the community have also pitched in to help. Students first asked family, friends, and Durfee staff for donations, then big contributions came from local businesses like Alexandra’s Boutique and Carmen Fashions. Both stores donated dresses, many brand-new, worth hundreds of dollars, still with tags on them! Slade’s Formal Wear is offering $55 discounts on suit rentals and is dressing one student free of charge. Several local salons and barber shops have also agreed to donate their time or offer services for free or at discounted rates. The students say teachers in Durfee’s Fine and Performing Arts Department have helped fix broken zippers or sewed sequins on some of the dresses. And 10 Durfee students will get their dresses altered free of charge thanks to Anna’s Alternations.

The hope is for the closet to find a permanent home and be open year-round for any Durfee student who may need a dress for homecoming, prom, or business attire that can be used for DECA or Skills USA competitions.

For students that are looking to shop or to get more information, they scan a QR code and fill out a Google Form to get an appointment.

The closet is still in need of dress shirts for men, blouses, gowns, and professional clothing. Donations should be in new or like-new condition and can be dropped off with security at Durfee’s main entrance during school hours.

In addition to a 60-page binder showing their process and progress, Darwin, Bruna, and Malianet will have a 5-minute verbal presentation to Skills USA judges next month in Marlborough, Massachusetts at the State Leadership & Skills Conference.