From Homeless to Glamorous

Teen has her night at the prom

By Mara Stine

The Gresham Outlook, May 12, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (3 Reader comments)

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Then, after badgering My Father’s House Executive Director Cathe Wiese with weeks of daily phone calls, she learned that a room opened up.

The new shelter, big enough for 30 families, opened in December just as the family was evicted. It replaces a long ago outgrown home-based shelter on Division Street and is now the largest privately funded family shelter of its kind in the country.

After the family moved in, Volunteer Manager Heather Wiese caught wind of Jamie’s prom plans. She went to work, reaching out to local businesses to make the night special.

Community pitches in

Abby’s Closet, a local charity that outfits high school girls in free prom dresses, provided the dress. A My Father’s House volunteer provided free alterations. Another volunteer drove Jamie from school to Hidden Beauty Spa and Color Studio in Gresham, where she received a professional cosmetics makeover. Back at My Father’s House, Jodi gave her daughter a manicure and zipped up the back of her new dress.

A snazzy black Pontiac Bonneville, courtesy of All American Limousine of Troutdale, chauffeured Jamie and her date to Bumpers Bar & Grill in Fairview. There they dined on steak and shrimp scampi thanks to a $50 gift certificated donated by the restaurant. “It was so good,” Jamie gushed. “It was like Olive Garden, but three times better. People are like, ‘Dude, that’s not possible.’ And I’m a huge Olive Garden lover!”

Capturing it all with digital photography was Jennifer Hummel of Hummel Photography. Two years ago, Hummel, then 22, found herself homeless with her 2-year-old son, Paxton. After a week couch surfing and sleeping in her car, she spent two months at My Father’s House before her tax return funded a new apartment.

Since then she’s launched a photography business and jumped at the chance to give back to the organization that helped her. “Special moments like this should be captured in a creative way,” Hummel said. “It all just worked out.”

Jamie and her date, who also was celebrating his 18th birthday, danced until their feet were sore. Her date – with his red vest, red striped tie and shiny black and white bowling inspired shoes – was even honored as best dressed male student.

“The only way it could have been better is if I was in love with him,” Jamie said.

She planned the night in such detail that she had thank you notes prepared for each benefactor, handing them to the makeup artist and driver as the evening progressed. In hindsight, she wishes she’d have waited until after the prom to make each note more personal.

“To see that people actually do care in more ways than I thought, it was amazing,” Jamie said.

The entire night was a dream, a break from the frustrations of life as a homeless teenager.

You can help

My Father’s House can be reached at 503-492-3046 and tax-deductible contributions can be sent to P.O. Box 1147, Gresham, OR 97030. The donation center is located at 5003 West Powell Blvd., and is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, noon to 4 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays. A list of needed donations — everything from jelly to cleaning sponges — is available online at www.familyshelter.org.

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