Teen Gives At-Risk Women A Chance To Dress For Success

At age 14, this philanthropic teen started changing the lives of at-risk women. Allyson Ahlstrom started ‘Threads for Teens’ to help less-fortunate females build their self-esteem, confidence, and give them hope. The original idea was to outfit ten deserving girls (foster care, extreme situations of poverty, etc.) in two brand-new head-to-toe outfits. Within a week of founding Threads for Teens, she sent out over three hundred letters, soliciting clothing donations. For several months, she worked diligently collecting donations from different clothing companies. She says that she was “personally so shocked at the amount of companies willing to help. The generosity displayed was (and still is) incredible.”

In August 2010, the boutique opening was set. The kick-off for Threads for Teens was a great success, catering to thirteen teenage girls, which was three more than the goal! All were very ecstatic to receive the brand-new clothing. With the generous support of Lori and Bill DenBeste, Allyson was able to keep Threads for Teens open beyond the clothing drive as a full-time boutique. In September 2011, Threads for Teens officially became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Since then, Threads for Teens has served 3500 girls, with plans to grow exponentially, and has multiple locations and a mobile shopping van!