Athena's Warehouse

Throughout November and December, we are collecting formal dresses for our Dressgiving Drive. We'll dry clean and donate the dresses to underprivileged girls from Cross Keys, Maynard Jackson, and Grady high schools next prom season.

We have a NEW drop-off location at Georgia State:

Georgia State University
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Maggie Tolan's Office (Ground Floor)
14 Marietta Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30303

You can also drop your dresses off at:

Georgia Institute of Technology
Student Services Building (Flag Building)
The Greek Affairs Office 

Sanctuary Real Estate
300 N. Highland Ave, Suite B
Atlanta, GA 30307 

Ladies! Want an easy way to donate this season? Donate your unwanted dresses to teens in need! Throughout the month of November, we are collecting dresses for our first Dressgiving Drive. Here's how you can help:

1. Collect your dresses — prom, homecoming, bridesmaid, or any evening/formalwear

2. Drop them off at either location:

Sanctuary Real Estate
300 N. Highland Ave, Suite B
Atlanta, GA 30307

or

The Greek Affairs Office
Student Services Building (Flag Building)
Georgia Tech 

That's it! We'll dry clean and donate the dresses to underprivileged teen girls from Cross Keys, Maynard Jackson, and Grady high schools next prom season. 

Here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind:

• Good condition (new or gently used) 
• Any size, color, or style 
• Age-appropriate (16-18 year olds) 
• No casual dresses (jersey dresses, sun dresses, frocks, etc.)

After a relaxing summer break, we're back to school and ready for action. Last spring we implemented a new teen awareness program at Cross Keys High School called "Be Awesome Be Aware," which explores real-life topics such as career, positive body image, nutrition, sex education, and self-defense. The seven-workshop curriculum is taught by professional guest speakers, and at the end of the program, participants are eligible for the $1,000 Sanctuary Empowerment Scholarship funded by Sanctuary Real Estate.

This fall we're excited to announce that "Be Awesome Be Aware" is back for a second round at Cross Keys. Our new curriculum includes positive body image, college preparation, a 5K race to raise awareness for sexual trafficking and child prostitution, safety and self-defense, nutrition, teen pregnancy prevention, and social etiquette. Orientation kicks off this afternoon. Can't wait to meet a new batch of girls and get the school year started!      

For the first time ever, we awarded the $1,000 Sanctuary Empowerment Scholarship, funded generously by our sponsor Sanctuary Real Estate. The recipient was chosen based on participation in our teen awareness program "Be Awesome Be Aware" as well as an essay on what it means to be an empowered young woman. On Cross Keys High School's Honors Night, we presented the award to senior Cathy Cornejo, whose dedication, open-mindedness, and standout essay impressed us all on the board. Ms. Cornejo is the first member of her family to graduate from high school and attend college. Congrats again, Cathy!

Hey, how fun are these? Check out the awesome photos taken by Laura Polmear from LeahAndMark.com. Some of our faves from the night:

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Click here to download:

old-hollywood-photos-from-leahandmark-com-DidfEoACiqogtsuAmFwo.zip (4.21 MB)

Want more? Of course you do! See the full gallery here. 

Once again, thanks to Laura and her team for being such pros. And take a look at Laura's work on her blog—girl's got talent!

First of all, thanks to everyone who came out to our 2nd annual prom fundraiser, Old Hollywood, at Sutra Lounge in midtown. We had another excellent turnout, and we are overwhelmed by the amount of support we've received. Ladies, you all looked gorgeous, and guys—Clark Gable would have been proud. Special thanks to the amazing staff at Sutra, who handled the event like pros (and rescued our lost credit cards and IDs at the bar); to our deejay, Andrew Wroblewski (aka Dubsmash), who rocked it all night long; to Laura Polmear and her team from LeahAndMark.com; and of course, to our sponsors, Sanctuary Real Estate, Loan South Mortgage, The Law Offices of Betty Nguyen Davis, Bendin Sumrall & Ladner, and the Sales Management Association, for their generosity and support. We couldn't have done it without you.

Check out some pics from the event (more to come from LeahAndMark.com):

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Click here to download:

old-hollywood-honors-night-dash-bash-pqmiladvAGasgAedBpuI.zip (5.17 MB)

Finally, our friends at Dashboard Co-op are having Dash Bash, a fundraiser, at Kai Lin Art tomorrow, May 12 from 7 to 10 pm. Come on out for drinks, an art auction, and merriment! It's a $10 suggested donation with free drink tickets. We'll be there working the bar—come say hi! (More deets on their Facebook event page.)

Happy Monday, everyone! How is it already the end of April? In one week, we'll have our 2nd annual prom fundraiser, Old Hollywood, at Sutra Lounge in midtown. It's our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we'll have drink specials, music from Dubsmash, a photo booth from LeahAndMark.com, and a red carpet. As if that's not exciting enough, we'll also have a raffle with fabulous prizes like a night at the W hotel, 2 tickets to the New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys show, 8 classes at Dance101, and weekend cabin stay in Blue Ridge, GA. Wish we could enter! Remember, it's in one week, on Friday May 6 from 8-11pm.

We're also lucky to know the good people from Dashboard Co-Op and WonderRoot, two local nonprofits dedicated to art and community. Dashboard focuses on free promotion and professional development to artists of any medium, offering Atlanta artists free exhibitions, workshops, and consultations. Like Athena's, Dashboard was founded by women—that would be Beth Malone and Courtney Hammond, who wanted to give artists a free, easy way to "show off work that deserves to be seen." WonderRoot, which was formed in 2004, is committed to uniting artists and community to inspire positive social change. Last weekend, WonderRoot and Dashboard teamed up to raise money for Athena's at an informal BBQ held in Beth's own backyard. She and Chris, one of the founders of WonderRoot, cooked up a storm: barbecue tofu, corn on the cob, black-eyed peas, collard greens, cornbread, the works. In addition to good food, we had good company. We had the chance to socialize with some pretty great people outside the Athena's Warehouse circle, and we're both humbled by and thankful for their support. Because when you get right down to it, we depend on people like Sanctuary, Dashboard, and WonderRoot, people who are willing to take a chance on us. So thank you, all of you, who support us and allow us to do what we do. 

We had another successful Dress Day, this time at Grady High School. With our band of volunteers, we helped pair a dozen girls with the prom dress of her choice. Due to the smaller group, this D-Day was definitely less hectic than others, with everything falling perfectly into place. No hiccups, no drama, just a bunch of happy girls trying on dresses and jammin' to a teenager-approved playlist. Thanks again to our enthusiastic volunteers and to the Grady parents, who not only came out to support their daughters but also provided us with yummy breakfast. We enjoyed every moment of it and can't wait to do it again next year. Check out the pics of our adorable teen queens!

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Click here to download:

d-day-at-grady-hs-CGFqCEFDeesDagJgrkCv.zip (31.61 MB)

And of course, don't forget your tix to our 2nd annual prom fundraiser, Old Hollywood on Friday, May 6th at Sutra Lounge from 8 to 11 pm. Did we mention all the awesome raffle prizes you could win?

- A weekend cabin escape in Blue Ridge, Georgia
- A night at the W hotel in Atlanta
- 2 tickets to the New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys show at Philips Arena
- 8 classes at Dance 101
- Brunch for 2 at the Four Seasons Hotel
- Dinner for 2 at Nino's Italian Restaurant

RSVP on our Facebook event page.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Apologies for the lack of posts lately. We recently wrapped up the Be Awesome Be Aware program with Cross Keys High School, ending with a workshop on Civic Duty and what it means to be socially responsible. Founder Bee spoke about her impetus to help others, inspired by her roots as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, who received sponsorship and assistance from church, family, and the government after fleeing a war-torn country. One of Bee's favorite local nonprofits is Atlanta Mission, which provides emergency shelter, rehabilitation services, and long-term residential recovery to women and women with children who are seeking recovery for chemical dependency, domestic violence, and other life-controlling problems. Every year, she personally packs and donates Christmas shoeboxes to the women and children of Atlanta Mission. For the last workshop, we decided to do something similar—except instead of Christmas shoeboxes, we packed Easter baskets. We had a great time assembling baskets with the girls, who also included personal notes wishing the recipients a happy Easter. 

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Click here to download:

be-aw-you-can-be-aqkoznwcHBjsiDcHedgr.zip (25.96 MB)

With the conclusion of Be Awesome Be Aware, we've reflected on the program as a whole and realize that, yes, we're still rough around the edges. There were times when we could have been more organized, more efficient. But we know better now, and our program had a good first run. We also met some great people who generously donated their time to our little organization. (Melanie S. Taylor, Chef Carlin, Planned Parenthood, Todd and Leigh Layton, Desiree Nathanson, Banking On Our Future—we couldn't have done it without you.)

Most importantly, the girls learned a lot, too. They are more prepared for college, for the real world, than they were in January, and they themselves are wonderful people: smart, mature, hopeful, open, honest, funny, and enthusiastic. We'll miss them dearly and wish them nothing but the best in college—and hope they carry something from Athena's Warehouse with them, whether it's how to shop on a budget, apply for a job, or simply believe in yourself.

And as mentioned in previous posts, Be Awesome Be Aware isn't only about real-life awareness and personal support—we also believe in empowerment through higher education, which is why one of our participants will receive a $1,000 scholarship, funded by our amazing sponsor, Sanctuary Real Estate. The Board of Directors will judge based on a personal essay describing the impact the workshops have had on the recipient's life. Come May 15th, we'll announce the winner at Cross Keys' Honors Night.

On another note, grab your tickets to our 2nd annual prom fundraiser, Old Hollywood on Friday, May 6th at Sutra Lounge from 8 to 11 pm. We'll have fabulous raffle prizes, drink specials, awesome music from Dubsmash, a photo booth from LeahAndMark.com, and even a red carpet. Tickets are only $20, and the proceeds will help us continue to fund programs like Be Awesome Be Aware and the Prom Project.

RSVP on our Facebook event page.

Get ready to walk the red carpet—pre-sale tickets to Old Hollywood are now available! Please join us for our 2nd annual prom fundraiser on Friday, May 6 from 8 to 11 pm at Sutra Lounge in midtown. All proceeds will go toward funding current and future programs for underprivileged teen girls at Cross Keys, Maynard Jackson, and Grady high schools. 21 & up only.

The event will feature drink specials, music from Dubsmash, a photo booth from LeahAndMark.com, and fabulous raffle prizes, including:

- A weekend cabin escape in Blue Ridge, Georgia
- A night at the W hotel in Atlanta
- 2 tickets to the New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys show at Philips Arena
- 8 classes at Dance 101
- Brunch for 2 at the Four Seasons Hotel
- Dinner for 2 at Nino's Italian Restaurant

Dress Code:
The theme is Old Hollywood, so we encourage you to dress as your favorite Hollywood legend. Ladies, it's all about the glam hair and makeup. Think Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner. Gentlemen, look to Clark Gable and Cary Grant for inspiration (and maybe even Chuck Bass? Yes, we went there).

Ticket Information:
Pre-sale: $20
At the door: $25
Please bring your ticket receipt and a valid photo ID to the event.

[Online tickets no longer available 5/6. Get them at the door for $25.]

Or purchase tickets in person from AW Board Members:
Bee Nguyen: bee.nguyen@athenaswarehouse.org
Phi Nguyen: phi.nguyen@athenaswarehouse.org
Kristen Carlson: kristen.carlson@athenaswarehouse.org
Shannon Bagshaw: shannon.bagshaw@athenaswarehouse.org
Kim Nguyen: kim.nguyen@athenaswarehouse.org
Sara Lee Parker: saralee.parker@athenaswarehouse.org

RSVP on our Facebook event page.

Thanks to our sponsors: Sutra Lounge, Sanctuary Real Estate, Loan South Mortgage, The Law Offices of Betty Nguyen Davis, The Sales Management Association, Bendin Sumrall & Ladner, LeahAndMark.com, Dubsmash