Dressember 2015
For the past two years I have been participating in Dressember- and it is always a creative, difficult, empowering, frustrating, and I'm doing it again this year! The first year I participated I only heard about it a few days before December starting and I just jumped in without thinking about it a ton. It took me by surprise what it ended up meaning to me.I don't want to be overdramatic- but I have to try to explain what the whole experience is like... especially during the Christmas season. When so often when can turn all of our attention internally- and when we can pull our focus solely on those just within our reach in our family and our friends. We strive for happiness and joy and the perfect gifts... what will we get them and what will we receive from them.There is a huge world of individuals- all striving for happiness and joy. So many of those beyond the reach of our finger tips- have hopes for not only happiness and joy, but the things that we take for granted- safety, security, and autonomy. Horrific things happen to women all over the world... sex trafficking and sexual violence and slavery. Most of those women don't have any hope for justice or even escape from their oppressors.Participating in Dressember has pushed me every December to remember and stand for all those woman trapped in those horrific situations. As I suffer through snow and frigid temperatures in my dresses- I'm forced to remember why I'm doing all of it. When I wake up on my birthday, I can't help by think about someone other than myself when I'm pulling a dress out of my closet instead of my favorite pair of jeans.
Something that started as a silly idea, born out of boredom, has become a global movement, and created a pathway for not just me, but thousands of women like me who are ready to put a stop to one of the greatest injustices of our time. Dressember | The Story
Others my raise an eyebrow or laugh like I'm playing a prank on myself- but it is not about my comfort or what other think really at this point. The first year Dressember partnered with IJM (and when I first participated)- over $165,000 with 1,233 registered participants in 32 countries across 6 continents. In 2014, we raised over $465,000 and participation doubled. All of the money raised over the past two years went directly to IJM.IJM is the International Justice Mission- they seek justice for the millions of people across the world who live in oppression without a voice and without hope. They are directly responsible for more than 23,000 people relieved from oppression, over 900 convictions of the oppressors, and have trained over 13,000 officials and officers to fight for justice.Won't you join me? Stand for women all over the world- give them the voice and the strength they need. You don't have to wear a dress every day- you can support my fundraising campaign or you can share about the movement on social media. There is nothing more powerful and than standing for the rights of others.Join the Movement!Sponsor My Dressember Campaign