About six months ago, the women running Free Ever After realized the bridal boutique was busting at the seams.
With gowns stashed in office space and crammed in corners, the Tucson nonprofit needed a new home.
That's why come September (they hope), the shop will move into its new space at Broadway and Craycroft Road.
Free Ever After will fill the space that was formerly Plato's Closet at Broadway and Craycroft Road.
"There is just no more space for dresses, and we realized if we were going to continue to grow the business, we had to move or plateau," said Abigail Wilhelm, the director of operations for Free Ever After.
Free Ever After is actually a local nonprofit that fights sex trafficking and mentors women who have survived sexual abuse and exploitation. The resale bridal boutique sells donated wedding gowns and formal dresses to fund its work.
The shop currently operates out of about 1,000-square feet of office and boutique space at 2469 N. Country Club Road, where it opened in 2014. The new space — a former Plato's Closet at 5626 E. Broadway— is about 3,000 square feet.
The bigger space means growth in many ways. Currently, Free Ever After stocks between 200 and 300 wedding dresses and 100 formal gowns. That can now increase.
The store also plans to extend its hours of operation and open up extra days of the week.
Free Ever After is currently fundraising $25,000 to remodel its new 3,000-square-foot space.
Beyond expanding inventory, Free Ever After's new floorplan will allow for room at the boutique for mentoring and a coworking space for training and additional programs — plus a kids' zone for shoppers, volunteers and women being mentored.
"This expands the resources that we can give, and it expands our footprint in the community but also the awareness that we can raise through the boutique," Wilhelm says.
Free Ever After is currently fundraising $25,000 through YouCaring to pay for the remodel. All of that will go toward the materials needed to transform the store into a "chic bridal boutique," Wilhelm says.
"If there are people who have building materials or expertise (to donate) that would be great," she says, adding that Free Ever After staff and volunteers will do the labor themselves.
The added hours mean that Free Ever After is also going to need more volunteers.
"Any woman in the community who is interested in combating sex trafficking can find a place with us," Wilhelm says.
The planned kids' area means moms can bring their kiddos while they volunteer, and weekend hours provide an opportunity for those with full-time jobs. The nonprofit just asks that volunteers are 18 and older and have a love for weddings.
On Tuesday, July 17 and Wednesday, July 18, the nonprofit is asking for $15 donations.
Volunteers can also channel some HGTV demo dreams and help with demolition of the new space on Saturday, July 21. Check out the Facebook event for more information.
To donate to Free Ever After, go here.
