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Fine and fancy

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Patricia Lankford vividly remembers the sacrifices she had to make in  order to afford a prom dress during her senior year in high school.
I  was a teen mom at 13 years old, and I had to go to work to get my prom  dress, said the hazardous waste worker, who was born of a teen mom as  well.
Taking the job meant giving up a nursing class, something that  Lankford thinks about to this day.
After her own daughter went to  the prom, Lankford said they were sitting looking at the dress and  realized somebody else needs a prom dress. So in 2007, she joined  forces with girl friend Jeanine Virgin and her daughter Asia as well as  Paul Foster to put together a prom dress give-a-way.
We put it  together in just two weeks, remarked Lankford still remembering the  crazy rush to get everything in place. We had more than 160 dresses  with shoes and purses and accessories to match. We gave away 60 to 70  plus dresses, and the remainder we donated to another organization in  Long Beach.
Lankford and her crew took the dresses to Compton,  Crenshaw and Venice high schools, and the one thing she had not counted  on was the number of young men who came with their girls, asking about  suits for themselves.
So this year, the prom dress give-away which  will be held April 5 from noon to 5:30 p.m. at Rowley Recreation Center  in Gardena (13220 S. Van Ness Ave.) will feature suits and accessories  for males. And in 2008, the young people will walk away with more than  prom clothing. College scholarship information will be provided to each  student, as well as gift bags and raffle prizes.
The clothing, some  used, but most new is donated to Lankfords non-profit  organizationGuidance to the Futureby those interested in helping young  people. And in fact her Prom Dress Give Away is an extension of her  organizations mission.
Our purpose is to equip low income women and  children dealing with such issues as homelessness, domestic violence,  incarceration, teen parenthood, with the necessary tools to lead  productive lives, Lankford said. Among the services her agency provides  are assisting with housing, providing meals and clothing, teaching  basic skills including G.E.D. training, and helping with higher  education. There is also training on office machines and software  applications as well as on the soft skills people need to obtain and  keep jobs.
In order to make the program dress and suit give away a  success, Lankford is looking for donations including storage space,  clothing racks and suits for the boys. Donations should be sent to  Guidance to the Future, P.O. Box 1273, Gardena, CA 90249 or you may call  (562) 326-2459.

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