Dressember 2017

Hello Friends and Family!  

It is Dressember!  December??  December . . . Dressember!  

As many of you already know, in 2014 I learned of a group of people using the month of December to raise awareness and funds to support a cause I have become passionate about over the past several years.  

We think of slavery as being a thing of the past but in many ways and in countries all over the world INCLUDING the U.S.A., slavery is active today!  Many, many of the goods we purchase and the foods we eat are produced by people who are:

-  not paid a fair wage for their work, 

-  kidnapped from their families in order to perform the work 

-  often treated extremely poorly while doing the work such as coercion, threats, physical, mental, emotional, and sexual abuse, dangerous working conditions, being denied education, healthcare, etc. 

Then there are the young girls and women in our country and others who are seduced into thinking they will be given a secure job such as nannying or being a housekeeper and instead are sold into prostitution. 

The problem is huge and complex but that doesn't mean that nothing can be done.  

 

This group of people that I discovered via a college friend on instagram calls this month DRESSember :)  Each participant is wearing a dress every day in December, in all kinds of weather and doing all kinds of activities to raise awareness and also to raise money that will go to the International Justice Mission and A21.  

International Justice Mission has already relieved more than 40,000 people from oppression.  That is 20,000 alone in the past few years!  A21 also does amazing work in this realm.  Both organizations also work to protect and prevent this type of thing from even happening in the first place.   

I highly respect these organizations and have partnered fully with them in fundraising/bring awareness for two years.  This year I have not formally signed up to lead a campaign but I am still wearing dresses many days during Dressember and am fully supporting three friends who are registered as Dressember advocates.  In this small way, I am a freedom fighter!  

I would be honored if you would consider joining me in fighting for freedom for those who have no voice and have no hope.  I am giving to my amazing sister-in-law and neice, Cecily and Callie, and friends Ashli, and Melissa.  I would feel so honored if you would choose to come alongside our fellow human beings, moms, sisters, children and fathers, people just like us who need us to speak up for them because they are trapped in a space with no voice, no advocate.  If giving to Dressember is one of the ways you want to show love this year please click on one of these names below and become a freedom fighter with us!  

Cecily and Callie

Ashli

Melissa

Please let me know if you have any questions!