Formal Dress Borrowing with Tia's Prom Closet Project's Samantha Erickson Ep 181 Artwork

Grounded in Maine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is an open conversation about being mindful of how we show up for the world. We discuss the role we play in sustainability including gardening and preserving, recycling, composting and even household DIY. It's a podcast about our commitment to ecological responsibility, and empowering us to take on our role in the solution instead of feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world.

Want to be a guest on Grounded in Maine? Send Amy Bolduc a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/groundedinmaine

All Episodes

Grounded in Maine

Formal Dress Borrowing with Tia's Prom Closet Project's Samantha Erickson Ep 181

January 13, 2026 • Amy Bolduc (Fagan)

0:00 | 38:21

Let me tell you a little story about my meeting Samantha Erickson... I think she reached out to me (my Instagram name is Grounded in Maine, and she's a Maine business, so I assume that's why), and the idea of used formal dresses was such a great business plan, so I was sold, and invited her to talk about it on the podcast. When I got her podcast guest form, she said "turning grief and pain into purpose," and if you know me, I'm all in for all the deep conversations, so I couldn't wait for the chance to learn more about the story of Tia's Prom Closet Project.

Tia Morrell was Samantha's best friend, and she passed away in 2024, 4 months after giving birth to her first child, Zara. Tia was a total fashion girl, and had a huge heart, not letting someone miss out on a special occasion because they didn't have the right outfit - Samantha tells the sweetest story showing this. So Samantha, Tia's mom, and a couple other of Tia's friends started Tia's Prom Closet Project - really a circular fashion goldmine, located in the small town of Harrison in southern Maine. They started 4 months ago now with 20 dresses, and 3 months later when I spoke with Samantha, they had received close to 600 donated dresses to offer folks!

Samantha has so many stories about this, and the reach they've made in just a few short months shows the power of community.

I'm going to leave you with this last quote from Samantha: "This is bigger than dresses; it's about dignity. A pay it forward movement built on kindness, confidence, and connection, all in honor of an incredible soul.
Every dress that leaves our racks carries more than fabric and sparkle — it carries a story, a piece of someone else’s love and hope."

You can find Tia's Prom Closet Project on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/tiaspromcloset/

And on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/people/Tias-Prom-Closet/61580223976310/

Send me a message!

Support the show

Like this episode? Send me a message!

Please follow the podcast on Instagram here
YouTube channel
Email me at amysgardenjam@gmail.com
Amy's Garden Jam site (podcast has its own tab on this site!)

Amy's email newsletter:

How Do I Get There From Here by Jane Bolduc - hear more at https://www.janebolduc.com/

Podcast cover by Becca Kofron- follow her on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/skate_cute_but_loud/ and check out her awesome art projects.

Grounded in Maine Podcast is hosted by Buzzsprout, the easiest podcast hosting platform with the best customer service! Learn more at https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1851361

You can support this podcast one time (or many) with the Buy me a coffee/Hot Chocolate link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/groundedinmaine

Grounded in Maine Podcast is sponsored by ESG Review. Learn more about the good they're doing at https://esgr...