Photo By Janecze Wright | Operation Deploy Your Dress is provided by the Fort Hood Spouses’ Club and has been...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas -- Heather Banner, Operation Deploy Your Dress coordinator and shop manager, remembered a breast cancer survivor coming in after undergoing a double mastectomy. She was emotional about selecting a dress, but ODYD volunteers put her at ease and helped her to find the perfect ensemble.
“Just from the moment she walked in and we found the perfect dress for her, to the moment when she came back in and we were all excited to see her,” Banner recalled. “It was just … kind of full circle as to why we do this, so it was a beautiful moment.”
Banner and a host of volunteers strive to create special moments like this for the Fort Hood community through ODYD. The program, which is one of the many provided by the Fort Hood Spouses’ Club, has been around for nearly two and a half years and furnishes free apparel for military ID card holders, dependents, spouses, veterans and active duty Soldiers every year.
Located at the Clear Creek Commissary, the program shares space with Santa’s Workshop to house hundreds of dresses, suits and accessories in an array of colors and sizes that are available to the military community at no cost.
Visitors can choose one clothing item, either a dress or a suit, and one accessory, such as shoes, a purse or jewelry, from a wide selection that has something for everyone. Guests can also swap old items for something new. Banner noted that 100% of everything in the shop is donated by community members, so ODYD depends on donations to sustain the program.
She explained that the program can make attending formal events a lot less costly. “We know that balls can be really expensive, as is when you’ve got the ticket price, maybe baby-sitting, all sorts of other things,” Banner said. “So, we really can help offset those prices by providing free formal wear for our military families.”
She added that the financial aspect is a huge reason ODYD is so important to the Fort Hood community, as well as offering other community events like Love is in the Air, that provide the opportunity for people to meet and come together.
Banner said the feedback from the community lets her know the organization is meeting the needs of military families.
“I think probably one of my favorite things is when they come back in and show us the pictures from their ball,” Banner expressed. “Because then you know not only did they leave with an experience that really touched them, but then they come back and get to share it with us and I think that’s really amazing.”
ODYD needs men’s suits and formal wear, as well as maternity dresses for upcoming balls and formal events. The program is also in need of volunteers.
ODYD also provides special event shopping experiences for units and groups.
Email odyd@forthoodspousesclub.org for more information on events and volunteering.
| Date Taken: | 03.16.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2023 15:10 |
| Story ID: | 440959 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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