The Dressember Network: CSEC Awareness and Transitional Housing for Foster Youth
At Dressember we are committed to addressing the link between systemic issues and vulnerability to trafficking situations. One vulnerability that survivors often have in common is a history of experiences with foster care. Abuse, neglect, and maltreatment can become normalized for foster youth, particularly when they are placed in unsafe homes or homes that are not a good match for their needs. When this happens, it can place children in a situation where they are more easily manipulated, which increases the likelihood that they may become victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
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The Dressember Network: Training for Frontline Workers
It is hard to visit a hotel, casino, airport, or transit station without seeing the sign: “If you see something, say something.” Yet the average person probably doesn’t know what they’re supposed to see. They just know that if they see “it”, they should tell “someone”. Again, who to tell is a bit unclear. They probably have a vague understanding that this popular adage is related to human trafficking or at least that it’s something of which to take note, but beyond that, they are probably unsure of the implications.
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The Dressember Network: Enabling Exit Pathways for Trafficked Adults
Today, Zeenat dreams of becoming a wife and mother while working on her jewelry crafting skills. Ruby speaks to raise awareness about the online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) and is considering pursuing her law degree. Ahana dreams of becoming either a flight attendant or a beautician.
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The Dressember Network: The Human Trafficking Report
Perhaps no theme in political discourse has become more relevant than that of checking your facts. It’s hard to go even one day without hearing cries of “that’s what they want you to think” or “what’s your source on that” or perhaps, most famously of all, “fake news.” The concept has become over-played and many of us scoff when we hear it because it evokes feelings of frustration both at being discredited and at being deceived.
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The Dressember Network: Preventing Exploitation in Agricultural Work
In the United States, the jobs that impact each of us the most on a day-to-day basis, those occupied by farmworkers, are typically done for a painfully low wage. These jobs are occupied by farmworkers, who often experience generational poverty within the agricultural industry. Not only are the wages low, but the people doing these jobs are also faced with particularly daunting circumstances.
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We’ve Got Your Back: Check Out Our 2021 Fundraising Resources
Welcome, friend. We’re glad you’re here. Whether it’s your first time advocating with Dressember or you’re a seasoned dress-or-tie wearing veteran, we’re here to help you fundraise for your Dressember campaign from this moment until the day you put your jeans back on (and then some). We put together a 2021 Fundraising Toolkit with fundraising guides, social media resources, and blog posts to set you up for your best campaign season yet. Be on the lookout for email templates as well!
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The Dressember Network: Outreach & Support for Vulnerable Youth
When we people initially seek out ways to support the prevention of human trafficking, they may have a simplistic concept in their head of the highly sensationalized stories of trafficking we see in the media: a woman in a Wal-Mart parking lot being kidnapped on the way to her car or a raid on a massage parlor that is a front for sex trafficking or even the oft-repeated “if you see something, say something” slogan. While these stories can be—and frequently are—realities, oft-forgotten are the stories of everyday tragedy, the stories of groups that are frequently not seen.
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Dressember's Impact Pillars
Injustice is rarely a one-time event. Oftentimes, injustices compound upon each other, exploiting every possible vulnerability. Human trafficking is no different. At Dressember, we believe it’s an intersectional human rights issue that must be dismantled from multiple angles.
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A Dress Can Make a Difference
The rice has long since been thrown, the pictures have been hung, and the thank you cards have been sent. Your wedding day couldn’t have been more perfect.
Now, your big white dress hangs in your closet, wrapped in plastic and shoved behind that sweater you never wear but can’t seem to get rid of. You don’t think anyone would buy it, but you love it too much to trash it. So what are your options?
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The Power of Being Trauma-Informed
Many of our advocates come together time and time again to support Dressember and bring an end to human trafficking. We are endlessly encouraged by the ways that advocates step up and get creative with their advocacy not just in December, but year round! Today we are excited to share a company that supports Dressember on an ongoing basis, Rugged Coffee.
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The Dressember Values & Promises
When we challenge our advocates to fight for the dignity and freedom of all people, we know there is no simple approach. Every survivor’s story is a complex, intersectional experience with layered needs and outcomes. We built the Dressember Network so that you and your donors can see exactly how your fundraising and their donations transform into impact. Every dollar raised is distributed across a diverse range of programming that addresses prevention, intervention, rehabilitation and advocacy. So when you join in community with Dressember, you become a part of a strategic approach to fighting human trafficking as an intersectional social justice issue. Let’s take a look at how this network is crafted with the complex needs of at-risk communities and survivors in mind.
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Dressember Network’s Funding Priorities
When we challenge our advocates to fight for the dignity and freedom of all people, we know there is no simple approach. Every survivor’s story is a complex, intersectional experience with layered needs and outcomes. We built the Dressember Network so that you and your donors can see exactly how your fundraising and their donations transform into impact. Every dollar raised is distributed across a diverse range of programming that addresses prevention, intervention, rehabilitation and advocacy. So when you join in community with Dressember, you become a part of a strategic approach to fighting human trafficking as an intersectional social justice issue. Let’s take a look at how this network is crafted with the complex needs of at-risk communities and survivors in mind.
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Fast Fashion and Trafficking: What's the Link?
Earlier this year, the Dressember Foundation launched a survivor scholarship program in partnership with AnnieCannons, an organization with the stated mission of “[t]ransforming survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence into software engineers.” For the first time this year, AnnieCannons expanded their training program to survivors outside the San Francisco Bay Area through a fully-virtual program.
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How Dressember Works: From Advocates to Tangible Impact
When Blythe Hill started wearing dresses every day in December (hence, Dressember), she had no idea it would grow to a global movement with over 35,000 advocates worldwide. By year three, people Blythe didn’t even know wanted to take part in this quirky style challenge. Blythe realized there was potential to make a real positive impact with Dressember, so she decided to launch a fundraising campaign to support anti-trafficking programs. Within days, the group hit its first goal. Blythe was shocked and humbled; she had no idea Dressember would soon become a global community with exponential impact.
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Transforming Survivors into Software Engineers
Earlier this year, the Dressember Foundation launched a survivor scholarship program in partnership with AnnieCannons, an organization with the stated mission of “[t]ransforming survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence into software engineers.” For the first time this year, AnnieCannons expanded their training program to survivors outside the San Francisco Bay Area through a fully-virtual program.
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4 Truths About Trafficking on World Day Against Trafficking 2021
As we commemorate World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, it is important to promote a true, authentic narrative about trafficking and who it impacts most. Human trafficking is a grave injustice and a growing $150 billion dollar industry, but it does not happen inside a bubble. This issue intersects with various other system injustices and inequities. Trafficking disproportionately impacts marginalized groups, and it happens around the world as well as in our own cities. Human trafficking is illegal in every country, yet it happens everywhere.
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Dressummer Book Club: Dare to Lead
For the past three summers, the Dressember community has gathered to read and learn together, and this year is no different! This summer, we’re reading Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, and we’re excited for the leadership lessons that we can transfer to our advocacy.
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Advocate Spotlight: Skyler Richter and Rugged Coffee
Many of our advocates come together time and time again to support Dressember and bring an end to human trafficking. We are endlessly encouraged by the ways that advocates step up and get creative with their advocacy not just in December, but year round! Today we are excited to share a company that supports Dressember on an ongoing basis, Rugged Coffee.
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A Conscious Consumers Guide to Summer
Summer has arrived and it’s easy to fall into patterns of overconsumption and fast fashion while putting together that summer wardrobe. We are challenging ourselves to think critically about our consumer habits and how to approach summer shopping patterns more ethically and sustainably. We invite you to join us!
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How to Fundraise for Dressember All Year Long
Those familiar with the Dressember Style Challenge know that December is when the bulk of the action happens for fundraising. For our advocates, it’s a month jam-packed with Instagram posts,unique fundraisers and heightened awareness surrounding human trafficking. But what about the other eleven months of the year? In the last year, advocacy has had to evolve with all the challenges COVID-19 has presented. However, we can still work together to fight human trafficking!
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