Dressember: The What and Why
No, O people, the
Lord
has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
- Micah 6:8
A few years ago, a friend and I participated in a style challenge called Dressember. The idea behind this challenge was to wear a dress every day during the month of December to raise awareness for the worldwide human trafficking crisis. I participated that year and had fun trying new things with the existing items in my closet. However, I only participated that one year. It didn't really cross my mind again after that. Last week, I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey. Her guest was Blythe Hill, the founder of Dressember. Listening to how what began as a simple style challenge evolved into a foundation which has raised millions of dollars was fascinating.
Blythe began Dressember to raise awareness for human trafficking, which is a worldwide criminal epidemic.
This issue is lurking within our backyards, and Atlanta is one of the top cities in the world known for human trafficking.
So this year, I am joining the Dressember challenge as an advocate. The plight of victims is especially near to my heart because of two facts:
I experienced an incident with sexual abuse in my childhood.
60% of all child sex trafficking victims have a history in the child welfare (foster care) system. A high percentage of runaways from foster care will be trafficked within 48 hours of running away.
As a woman and a foster mom, this crisis means something to me. I may not have experienced forced labor, but I know the shame of being taken advantage of. And to think of any our kids who have lived in our home and have to be a part of our lives experiencing this injustice makes me very, very upset. Yes, I love clothes, and it just so happens that I love dresses and am very comfortable in them. But this is about so much more than a dress. This is about raising awareness and money to help victims of heinous acts find new life and recovery. We can make a difference by spreading the word
Friends, will you join me? I have created a new team through the Dressember site, and I would love to have you join me by participating as an advocate or by donating. My fundraising goal is $1,000. I figure that if 9 other people join me, we each can try to raise $100. Simple, right?
I will be posting my outfits each weekday on Instagram. I don't do social media on the weekends, and let's be real, sometimes I don't leave my house on Saturdays. ;) I would be so honored if you would join me!
You can learn more about the Dressember foundation here:
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And you can donate or join my team here:
https://dressember-2018.funraise.org/fundraiser/jessica-mathisen
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Let's do big things!