Advocate Spotlight: Stephanie Bronfein Thinks Outside the Box
Thousands of advocates come together each year to participate in the Dressember style challenge, and we love seeing the amazing things our community can do! Stephanie Bronfein has been a Dressember advocate for six years now. This year alone, her community came together to raise over $20,000 for the fight against human trafficking. She started this campaign season with a generous donation of $10,000 and challenged her community to match that donation, and they did just that!
Her advocacy journey began at Syracuse University, where she was able to connect with a community of Dressember advocates. Since then, she has continued to participate in the style challenge and educate her community in Baltimore and in the Philippines. Stephanie is Filipino-American and cares deeply about the impact that human trafficking has on all individuals, but especially on women of color.
“I was really attracted to Love 146 and IJM because of the work that they do in the Philippines.”
When I spoke with Stephanie, she addressed the idea of making the campaign personal. Stephanie specifically is committed to women’s safety and healing from trauma and abuse.
When discussing advocacy, Stephanie mentions that centering survivor voices is extremely important. She takes herself out of the story as she shares statistics, videos and more.
It’s evident that Stephanie looks outside the box as she advocates—from sending out weekly newsletters to organizing 5Ks to fundraise and raise awareness about human trafficking, her portfolio is impressive. The 5K that she organized came out of a desire to fundraise in a new way. She looked around her and saw that her community was already physically active—she knew a lot of runners, and a 5K was a great way to bring people together face to face. Although the 5K did not take place during the 2020 campaign season due to COVID-19, she was still able to connect with her community through social media and beyond.
“Human trafficking is happening in your own backyard, and it’s happening all over the world, and that’s why we care.”
Another way that Stephanie advocates is through an email newsletter. In the newsletter she tries to decenter herself and uplift survivors and amplify their voices. She does this through the use of videos, case studies and survivor stories. Her dad has helped support her advocacy journey by forwarding this email to his own community, too. When speaking with Stephanie, she brought up the importance of asking for help. By asking friends and family to support you by sharing about your campaign, you increase your network and reach more people!
As Stephanie shows up year after year, her friends and family continue to learn more about human trafficking alongside her. Through Dressember, she has formed a community that supports the fight against trafficking time and time again.
One lesson that we can all take from Stephanie is to look around at our own community and see what unique opportunities we have to advocate where we are. For instance, if you are an artist, you can use your art to advocate for the freedom of all people. If you play sports, you can organize a benefit game to fundraise. If you bake, you can sell your baked goods to gather donations for the cause. And if you want to organize a Dressember 5K in your city like Stefanie did, check out these resources.
Advocacy doesn’t have to stop at wearing a dress. Stephanie shows us that going above and beyond in the fight against trafficking has a great impact on the world around us.
About the Author
Shannon Haupert is originally from the West Coast and is now navigating life in New York City. You can find her anywhere with a journal in one hand and snacks in the other. She is passionate about sustainability, human rights, and creativity. When she's not writing, she spends her time working as a nanny, exploring the city, and drinking far too much coffee along the way.