The Courtyard by Marriott in Pasadena recently hosted the yearly Glam Prom Dress and Suit Giveaway. The occasion was sponsored by Sephora, Becca’s Closet, Windsor Fashion, Subaru, and Courtyard by Marriott.
By hosting community events that address a real quick need, Musical Jam collaborates with local organizations to increase awareness within the school district regarding interpersonal- personal care, mental health services, and wellness.
The program aims to give students more than just the appropriate clothing for the big party. It’s about instilling trust, fostering a sense of belonging, and empowering children to accept their personality.
Every homecoming accessory needed, volunteers helped with styling kids’ clothes, making sure each participant felt supported and valued.
Kathy Baker, the family of Marcus Hernandez, a freshman at Pasadena High School, expressed appreciation for the occasion, which provided her son with many- needed support in selecting his proper attire.
“I’m really happy that they have this software and very proud. I thought it was a tremendous idea”, Markus Baker said.
Also students from areas outside of Pasadena, like Debbie Gomez from Canoga Park, made the journey to join in the prom dress freebie, attesting to the show’s influence and elegance.
“It probably took me ten minutes to find a dress I liked. It is a pretty nice event”, Gomez said.
Jacqueline Snell, a third-generation Pasadena resident, wanted to preserve the entrancing community she cherished growing up, so she decided to create Jazzy Jam.
“I realized that the things we had been through growing up had changed. More creation, more social-emotional care, and more of the arts were what I wanted to do. Everybody loves elementary, but they forget our middle school and high school”, Snell said.
Jazzy Jam organizes a number of activities for McKinley School ( K- 8 ), including cooking classes, music therapy, art therapy, and a brand-new program called the “watercooler room,” a shared break room for students and teachers to improve their emotional well-being.
“Jazzy Jam is a place to restore. We want to give you guys a safe place where you can just come in and talk unapologetically. We’re not clinical. We’re just responders”, Snell said.
In the “watercooler room,” Kelly Cooke, a contractor through Jazzy Jam, provides support to students who are struggling with social pressures made worse by modern challenges like social media. Cooke stressed the value of providing students with a safe place to find support and establish connections.
“For people, especially the younger generation, they really need support, especially like in today’s day and age, social media plays a really big part of their life. We have children who have been bullied on social media or who are just having trouble making friends. So we’re here to help support them through that”, Cooke said.
The prom outfit giveaway event addresses the specific needs of the youth in their communities to help them deal with the social pressures brought on by financial instability.
Snell’s friend and Best Friends Pet Hospital owner Erica Owens referred to how students can feel bad about asking their parents for things.
“I’m here because I didn’t have a prom dress. I helped raise a little bit, and we’re here to help people. I’m happy to be able to see people’s faces by giving something so small, like a dress”, Owens said.
She also reflected on the chance that young men might find a suit at this time in their lives.
According to Owens, “the young men don’t understand that that suit might be the suit they wear to college interviews.”
Elizabeth Rubalcava, Love Promise director for Sierra Subaru of Monrovia, expressed enthusiasm for the Subaru Monrovia team’s contribution to the Jazzy Jam event.
To raise money for the cause, the team donated 22 new suits and held a drive in their showroom.
Rubalcava emphasized their commitment to expanding the event’s men’s section over time, which shows Subaru Monrovia’s commitment to making a positive impact on the community.
Through initiatives like these, Jazzy Jam continues to make a big difference in young people’s lives, one outfit at a time.