Inside The Dream
News Articles
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"The Toronto Sun" in Toronto, Ontario on May 8, 2007. If you would like to check out our news article online "Click Here", it will open in a new window. 
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"The Toronto Sun" in Mississauga, Ontario on April 27, 2007. If you would like to check out our news article online "Click Here", it will open in a new window. April 27, 2007 Toronto Sun Prom is a night to remember Teenagers can look like royalty - without spending a fortune By MIKE STROBEL  Ruth Renwick, left, and Liis Windischmann have what it takes to dress up would be prom kings and queens - without them having to pay a fortune. (Greg Henkenhaf, Sun Media). For some, it's the end of innocence. For others, it's The End! -- Tagline for the movie Prom Night. If memory serves, I spent prom night drinking beer at seedy Siloam Hall with all the other rejects. Saturday, April 28, 1973. Dear old Uxbridge High. The theme that night was Serenade in Blue, though I do not know how the school gym looked. I wasn't there. No one asked me to go. Sheesh. Prom night can sure mess with you head. I am still licking those old wounds as I venture into the cavernous Legendary Logistics warehouse in Mississauga. Nestled among the stacks of water heaters, rollerskates and plastic parts, is an oasis of colour: Racks with hundreds of prom dresses. Here, I find two dream girls. One is Ruth Renwick, ex-debutante and homecoming queen in Lima, Peru. 'A WOMAN REMEMBERS' Now, she is a Peel social worker. Four years ago, she founded Inside the Dream, a non-profit which has collected these snazzy duds for grads in need. Ruth is a firecracker. So is Liis Windischmann, 35, top Toronto model and crusader for the "curvy" trend in fashion. She has lent her name to Inside the Dream. Liis has a prom scar or two. She was a size 12, with slim pickings on store racks. "I couldn't find anything to fit me, except a black and white dress, which I didn't love. "But I can remember every nuance of that dress." Off the shoulder. A bow at the breast. Taffeta. "A woman remembers her wedding dress and her prom dress," says Liis, who now strolls the world's catwalks as a size 14. "They define where you are in life, the feeling in your heart, the memories. It's not just a piece of clothing." And it's not cheap. Throw in hair, makeup, heels. Too much for some families. Even guys. Tux rent. Formal shirt. Corsages. Shoes. Inside the Dream collects those, too. On May 7, more than 100 kids, most referred by their teachers, will descend on the Mississauga Convention Centre to try on outfits. Some will tell Ruth their stories. Last year, a girl with cancer in her neck, vowed to walk at her formal. And she did, rising from her wheelchair in a stunning blue gown. There may be working, single-mom students with barely enough cash to feed their kids, let alone buy a gown. "You should see their faces when they try on the dresses," says Ruth. "It's like watching Cinderella." Tags carry names like Alfred Sung and Holt Renfrew. Some are donated new by suppliers, some are second-hand from prom princesses of the past. There will even be outfits for moms who chaperone on Grade 8 grad nights. Ruth and her volunteers also are on the lookout for perfume, jewelry, party purses, boas... For boys: Tie clips, cologne, restaurant gift cards (a feller's got to treat a lady), disposable cameras, even dance lessons for the slow of foot. See insidethedream.org for details. "I'm a mom," says Ruth, whose daughter Trisha helps run the project. "I cannot bear for a mom to say to her children, 'I have to pay the rent, I have to buy groceries, so you cannot go to your formal dance.' "These students struggle so much to graduate. But if they don't have the right outfit, they can't celebrate. "At that sensitive age, it's so hard on self esteem." Even harder for girls who do not fit into our skinny world, which is why Inside the Dream's direst need is sizes 12 and up. Ruth looks me over. "You're about an 18." I will check my closet. Mike Strobel Mike.strobel@sunmedia.ca 416 947-2265 |
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"24 Hours Toronto" in Toronto, Ontario on April 1, 2007. A-dressing needs By ASTRID POEI, 24 HOURS Getting a tuxedo or evening dress for grad formal can be tough as it is. But now try getting those things if you're a student struggling to make ends meet. As the Big Day approaches, two non-profit agencies will be helping students in financial need realize their dreams of celebrating graduation in style. During the month of April, Inside the Dream, a Mississauga-based organization is looking for donations of gowns, suits, ties, shoes, and jewelry to help outfit struggling Grade 8 or 12 students on their May 7 boutique day at the Mississauga Convention Centre. The organization began in 2003, after co-founder Ruth Renwick spent the day trying to help a student get a dress for her prom, only to discover how difficult it was for some students to attend their own graduation formals. "After a whole day of trying to get to the beautiful dress for the student to go, we noticed it wasn't just one student but a whole bunch of students living below the poverty line," Renwick said. "Those kids cannot make their dreams come true. They work hard but they cannot accomplish the best day of their life." Last year, the organization outfitted nearly 100 boys and girls for their grad formals. All items must be cleaned and can be dropped off at Remax locations around Mississauga and Brampton. The group is also looking for volunteers, seamstresses, tailors, make-up artists, and hairstylists. The Corsage Project, a Toronto-based agency is looking for donations of items such as accessories, shoes and evening bags for their April 22 boutique day, where Grade 12 students in financial need are paired up with a personal shopper to help them boogie after the Pomp and Circumstance March. |
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"The Mississauga News" in Mississauga, Ontario on March 28, 2007. |
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"Ford FCN On-line News" in Oakville, Ontario on June 12, 2006.
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"Belle's of the Ball" from the Toronto Star newspaper in Toronto, Ontario on May 2, 2006. Our official Boutique Day. Belles of the ball spared bill `I couldn't have afforded this' Program helps with prom costs May 2, 2006. 06:55 AM Written By: MIKE FUNSTON TORONTO STAR - STAFF REPORTER Nekesa Thomas has picked the gown of her dreams for her high school prom, but the elegant $2,000 dress won't cost her a cent. Nor will the shoes, purse, jewellery, hairstyle,makeup and perfume. It was just a few weeks ago that Thomas, 17, who graduates from Cardinal Leger Secondary School in Brampton this spring, was considering skipping her prom because of the high costs involved. Then she heard about Inside the Dream, a program organized three years ago by Mississauga social worker Ruth Renwick to help students short of money get the clothes and accessories needed to attend their high school and Grade 8 proms. "It's truly amazing," said an ecstatic Thomas after finding her first choice among hundreds of dresses donated for the event was a perfect fit. "I couldn't have afforded this on my own." She had no idea, however, just how much it was worth until being told she had picked one of 10 very expensive dresses among the hundreds up for grabs. "It's worth $2,000? Really? Wow. It's so beautiful. I love it," she said of the white sequined gown with black trim. She doesn't have a date yet, "but I'll get one now," vowed Thomas, who has tennis scholarship offers from two U.S. universities. She was among 65 teenage girls attending the "Boutique Day" yesterday at the Mississauga Convention Centre. The fortunate few were invited to the event based on referrals from teachers or social workers. It was primarily a girls' event but there were about 12 boys who attended and were outfitted with formal wear and accessories, too. The dresses, all donated, were on display in a large hall at the convention centre along with fashion accessories. About 40 volunteers were present to give one-on-one attention to the girls to help them make their choices, with some students shopping for an hour or more. They also got makeup lessons, makeup kits and certificates for a free hairstyling. The once-a-year show is a really an all-year labour of love for Renwick, who devotes hundreds of hours organizing and looking for sponsors to donate goods and services, so there's no fundraising needed. She had help getting the Boutique Day started from Trisha Waechter and Tracey Ciccarelli-Risdill. Husband Wayne Renwick and son Dante, 23, also provide assistance. Renwick's job as a social worker has her tuned into the needs of families and she knows many students don't attend their proms because of the costs. The average cost for a girl to attend her prom ranges from about $300 to $600, she said. Shay-Ann Bryden, 19, of T.L. Kennedy Secondary in Mississauga, was grateful for the dress and accessories she received. "It's a great feeling to know that these people are taking time out of what they normally doto help others. They've all been really nice," said Bryden, who wants to become a child and youth worker. Margaret O'Kieffe, 18, of Father John Redmond High School in Toronto, was impressed. "These are quality dresses. "It's great that someone like me can go to the prom and look like a girl who spends thousands of dollars. It means a lot to me." Stephanie Viddles, 18, who is graduating from Applewood Heights in Mississauga, said it would have been "very tough," for her to attend her prom without Renwick's program. "The people here have been very kind and very generous," said Viddles. Volunteers Theresa Thomas (no relation to Nekesa) and Megan Smith were among those helping the girls and obviously enjoyed doing it. "I love to see their smiles — the joy on their faces," said Thomas. |
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"The Metro News" in Toronto, Ontario on April 12, 2006. |
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"CityTV Pulse 24" in Mississauga, Ontario on January 15, 2006. Click on the video image below to view this newsclip footage. It will open in your media player.  |
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"The Mississauga News" in Mississauga, Ontario on April 20, 2005. |
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"Cuerpo Magazine" in Chicago, Illinois on March 2005. |
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"The Brampton Guardian" in Brampton, Ontario on April 21, 2004. |
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