On Saturday, March 24, local merchants and activists for young people will come together to make some prom dreams come true for teenagers in Northern Virginia, D.C., and Maryland. The group previously hosted makeovers with local teens, including the one featured in the video above of Nailah Phillips, a sophomore at Heritage HIgh School in Leesburg. Perhaps the best part about these makeovers is that the team bases its prom and homecoming events not only on making over the outside, but on reminding teens first, to see and appreciate their strengths, and second, to know that each is truly special.

The following information was sent to us by Katherine Zenzano:

I wanted to share with you a one-day “volunteer recruitment” project that was so personally profound and striking, it brought tears to my eyes and to the eyes of many of our staff.  It gave me deep insight into the experience of our shelter animals from their perspective.  Images from these videos cross my mind often. Even daily.  

In the first video you see the dark silhouette of a cat as she sits in her cage.  She takes a moment to eat from her bowl, then surveys the outside of her cage, and then as if she suspects she is being watched she glances back towards her litter box.  She stands to reveal a stub of a tail and looks around as seconds go by…slowly. She hears the faint sound of simulated birds chirping in the background along with the occasional faint tease of human chatter and movement.

Click here for the video.