In early April, Kinyatta Reynolds, an executive function coach and mom of three in Petaluma, was barely able to sit through "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" with her son when she had a light bulb moment and right then and there started crafting a colorful flyer advertising an opportunity for high school students to snag free prom wear. She came to the realization that prom is expensive and often out-of-reach for many families – especially those expensive dresses, like the one she just bought for her daughter, Jada, for $230, that was now just hanging in a closet.

Reynolds started on Instagram, asking for donated items that could be distributed to students in need. She imagined that beautiful dress in the closet back home being useful to someone. After a couple of weeks, she picked up several donated dresses from the community, but there weren't many people contacting her to take dresses. She figured it was probably bad timing and that she should have started it sooner, and shrugged it off with, "Oh well, I tried."

Then, almost a month later, on May 8, 2026, an instructional aide at San Antonio High School, Tena Jackson, posted on Facebook asking if there was a program in Petaluma where people could borrow or rent dresses. Jackson said she had several students who couldn't afford new dresses for the upcoming proms at Casa Grande and Petaluma high schools.

The two connected and set a date for dresses to be brought to the school for students to try on. On Wednesday, May 13, Reynolds delivered dresses to the alternative high school and students ooh'd and aah'd and posed in the dresses. That $230, non-returnable dress that Reynolds bought for her daughter will now be worn by San Antonio student Lexi Rodriguez-Reyes, who beamed and spinned and showed off the dress to her prom date and boyfriend, Joseph Saragina. It fit her perfectly.

Reynolds hopes the Petaluma Prom Closet is an idea that takes off and that she can offer again next year, maybe even getting some of those same dresses back so they can continue to be reused by others. She said she felt good seeing such happy and grateful students, and appreciated how supportive the staff at the school was. "I loved that the dress I couldn't return got taken," she said. "And it was so cute on her!"

Calling all high school families! Do you have a loved one graduating soon? Petaluma Voice wants to give you a chance to honor them with a shout-out that will be published through the month of June. Submit your graduate's photo (horizontal, please) plus a short dedication and we will compile a slideshow to share with readers.

Click here to submit