Burglary Prompts Strangers to Donate Prom Dresses to Shop Owner

— -- When Betty Vitale walked into her prom dress shop last Friday, she realized that two racks of dresses were gone. Someone had stolen approximately 15 dresses from her shop, Tammi's Closet, which is attached to the Rock Church of Amesbury in Massachusetts.

“I was heartbroken when I saw it,” Vitale told ABC News.

Tammi's Closet gives donated prom dresses to girls, who cannot afford prom expenses, for free. The shop also has shoes and prom accessories that are all free for the girls.

Amesbury police said there are still no leads about the burglar and the investigation is ongoing. Vitale said the church has since changed the locks on its doors.

“I was so upset when I went home that day I jumped on Facebook and wrote about it,” she said.

The very next day Vitale said she received over 35 dresses from the community who saw her post.

“It’s just unbelievable. They all came together for me,” she said. “I am just so overwhelmed over this whole thing.”

There are more than 150 dresses coming in this week from around the country, according to Vitale.

“I actually had a lady from Denver, Colorado, call me and is sending me 40 brand new designer dresses this week,” she said.

The shop usually has around 175 dresses a year, according to Vitale. One local store, Trendsetters Boutique, has donated over 70 dresses to Tammi's Closet since 2013 and has continued to help out since the burglary.

"I still am in shock that this has happened," Jaylene Buonodono, owner of Trendsetters Boutique, told ABC News today. "I’m happy to help and this is a really good community and a lot of people have come forward to help her in the situation. It's just a great way to give back."

“There have been so many stories I’ve gotten from people who can’t afford dresses, and they can come down to Tammi’s Closet to get dresses,” Vitale said.

Tammi’s Closet first opened in 2013 as a way for Vitale to honor her late daughter, Tammi Morrissey, who died in a car crash in 1996 when she was 19. Unable to bear giving away Tammi’s belongings, Vitale had the opportunity in 2007 to donate Tammi’s old prom gown to a girl who would not be able to afford one. It was years later that Vitale decided to pursue this mission on a bigger scale and have her daughter’s memory live on.

Vitale was able to give away 17 dresses in her first year and 54 dresses last year. “This year I have no idea what the number will be,” she said, adding that seeing the girls’ “eyes light up knowing they’ll be able to go to the prom” is the best part of running her project.

She uses the monetary donations she receives to help girls afford other prom expenses. Last year she was able to pay for a limo for one girl. This year she hopes to purchase a tuxedo for a boy if she gets enough donations.

“They’ll be able to remember their proms later in their lives,” Vitale said. “And even if they don’t remember me, they’ll remember they got their dresses at Tammi’s Closet, and Tammi’s name will live on.”