Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Ryan McGill
It started with a Facebook post and a generous gesture.
Nine years ago, Heather Hood was substitute teaching in Walker County when a fellow educator reached out because a few of her students couldn’t afford dresses for prom. Hood, who had experience in pageants, was asked if she knew anyone who could help. She put out a call on social media, and that simple request turned into something much bigger.
Terri Bolen, owner of the former Promises and Promises boutique in Jasper, responded first. “She told me to come pick out dresses for the girls,” Hood says. “And she let them keep them.”
That unexpected kindness lit a spark that still burns today.
Hood is now the founder and director of the Fairy Godmothers Association, a project of Alabama Diamonds and Pearls Inc. The organization has grown from a handful of dresses in a classroom closet to a full-fledged operation serving young women across Walker and surrounding counties. What began as a seasonal prom-dress effort now includes attire for school pageants, weddings, formal events like Tim Tebow’s Night to Shine, and more.
At its heart, the mission is simple: make sure no young woman misses a milestone because of what she can’t afford.
Over the years, the effort has moved from a storage unit to a refurbished classroom at the former Townley Jr. High to its current location at 5009 Highway 78 in Jasper. Along the way, the organization has received thousands of donated gowns, tuxedos, and formal accessories. The team rents tuxedos for a fraction of retail cost, sells wedding gowns at discounted prices, and sponsors full outfits when needed.
And while the clothing matters, it’s the confidence that stays with the girls.
“When they find the right dress, it’s like a spark,” Hood says. She recalls one young woman with a heart condition whose face lit up as she donned a red gown—the color of heart health awareness. Another, who had special needs, tried on 15 dresses before finding the one. “She looked in the mirror and said, ‘I feel so beautiful,’” Hood recalls. “I told her, ‘You are beautiful; that dress doesn’t make you beautiful, you make that dress beautiful.’”
The association is committed to inclusion, body positivity, and self-worth. Its parent organization also hosts pageants that prioritize representation, including a curvy teen division.
“Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes,” Hood says. “We want every girl to know she was divinely created for a purpose.”
Support has come from all directions. Local cosmetology students help with hair and makeup, florists provide corsages, volunteers donate toiletries and time. And when money is tight or a family is in crisis, the Fairy Godmothers Association steps in to cover the cost.
“This is not a one-person effort,” Hood emphasizes. “I may have started it, but it takes a village.” Volunteers help keep the operation running, and the group is now looking for a larger space to meet growing demand.
Girls have come from as far as Montgomery and even Mississippi. But no matter where they’re from, they’re met with the same message: you are valued, you are loved, and your community is rooting for you.
As Hood puts it, “It’s about giving them their Cinderella moment and reminding them that they belong and hopefully inspiring them to one day give back to their own communities.” WL
