The Beginning of the End

Just 3 days left of December! Thank you all for your support over the past 28 days! I hope this blog and the mission of Dressember has increased your knowledge and awareness of trafficking. I'm just $10 short of my goal... To help International Justice Mission fight trafficking and bring freedom to people around the world, donate here! Thanks a BUNCH!

- Kelly

And.... voila the dresses!

Day 26

Day 27

Day 28

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel! Καλά Χριστούγεννα!

Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

There is hope for freedom. Today as I celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, I am overwhelmed by the hope that his life, death, and resurrection bring. I am praying that you would know and experience this freedom just as I am praying that those suffering oppression and trafficking will one day have freedom. 

Just 6 days left to donate to this campaign here. I am only $10 short of my goal, please consider donating to help International Justice Mission end trafficking. Thank you for your love and support. 

Day 22 - Ohio for Christmas

Day 23 - I'm a tree.

Day 24 - Christmas Eve

Day 25 - Merry Christmas in my family jammies!

Merry Christmas,
Kelly

Dressembering for the Holidays

I am amazed by the amount of support I have received through this entire month... THANK YOU for your kind words and donations towards this cause. As of today, I am $25 away from my goal of $310! WOW! A big thanks to Brittany, Jino and the Cox family for their donations recently!

I'll be honest, In the beginning I was worried that I had set too high of a goal, especially during the holiday season. But YOU have shown me that this really is bigger than a dress. It is about the collective movement to work to end slavery here and around the world. Wearing dresses this month, while challenging for me, has been a small thing. However, the reactions of the people who have gotten involved I know are having a big impact.

With families gathering soon, please make this an opportunity to share with others about Dressember and the impact it is having. Continue to pray about helping me reach the last of my goal, you can donate here and help me reach (and maybe even surpass) my $310 goal.

And now... the dresses...

Dressember 17

Dressember 18- Ready to fly to New Jersey for the Holidays!

Dressember 19- Taking time to explore and bring dressember to New York City! 

Dressember 20- Wearing a dress around the Strand #NYC

Dressember 21- Hanging at the Crawfords

Dressember 22- Warm enough to wear a dress while wandering around the Beach! My husband even joined me in today's photo!

Dressember 23- Lounging around on a lazy day still means I get all DRESSED up!

Dressemeber is flying by!!!

I can't believe it is already December 22, just 9 more days of dresses to go! That also means only 9 more days to support International Justice Mission through my freedom maker campaign! Please consider donating to support this amazing agency as they work to end human trafficking around the world.

Day 9 

Day 10 

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

This month of dresses has led to some great conversations about the realities of trafficking around the world and close to home. Thanks for your support!

- Kelly

If you could see it...

If you could see it, would you end it?

http://www.faithit.com/sex-trafficking-major-sporting-events-shocking/




We're a little more than halfway through dressember. Would you consider donating to IJM, an organization that FIGHTS these injustices?

Please consider donating.

https://www.ijmfreedommaker.org/campaign/1912/Dressember-for-IJM/

It's Mid-Dressember

Hi Friends!

Thanks again for following along. So many of you have come up to me and mentioned this campaign, it really is amazing!

I'm very anti-selfie. So the encouragement from you is really awesome, especially when I feel goofy or discouraged. Thanks for sharing with me and your friends what has been happening this Dressmber. The idea is not only about raising funds, but really sharing with others, the realities of slavery.

Thanks again to two anonymous donors who generously brought my total raised to $190!! That is halfway to my goal of $310! Please consider giving in the next two weeks to help me reach my goal by Jan 1! You can donate here: https://www.ijmfreedommaker.org/campaign/1866/Dressember-for-IJM/

And now, the dresses.

Dressember 8- This is my friend Sara, and she is super excited about supporting Dressember! We ran into eachother at Cermak Produce (obviously) and she just made my day!

Dressember 9- Due to a work event, I had to wear dress pants, however, as soon as I got home, I changed into this cozy dress option!

Dressember 10- Worked from home and felt like putting on one of my favorite floral dresses!

Dressember 11- Wore this pretty dress given to me by my friend Roya! AND got to represent Dressember at the Moth gradSLAM :)

Dressember 12-  Dressembering at my Dad's Firefighter Awards ceremony, so proud of him for what he does!

Dressember 13- It is SO cold outside. My first repeat dress layered with a flannel to keep warm!

A Fashion Faux Pas

I already repeated a dress. Within 2 days of wearing it, I wore it again. And saw the same person. Who luckily, is a guy, so probably didn't notice.

BUT, I need a better system. This has required some planning.

I'm so grateful, though, for the traffic this campaign has received and for the fact that the overall campaign has already so far exceeded the goal!

A thank you to Bob Miller for the donation.

This is one of my favorite Christmas dresses :)

It's super comfortable

On the Eighth Day of Dressember...

It's already a week into Dressember, and I'm almost halfway to my fundraising goal! 

Thank you so much!

To me, Dressember is an excuse to tell people about sex trafficking, raising awareness for this social justice issue. As I shared earlier, my interest in the issue started a couple years ago while I was living and studying in Athens. Upon returning home to the good ole midwest, I had my heart set on continuing to be involved. I quickly learned that trafficking is not limited to countries abroad. I began researching what the issue looks like in the United States. Though some of the push and pull factors are the same, sex trafficking in the United States predominantly involves runaway youth who have lived through some type of traumatic event at home (i.e. domestic violence, abuse, parental drug use) and are looking for a better life. These dresses are for youth in the United States at risk for being trafficked. These dresses are for hope that individuals in trafficking situations might experience freedom and joy in a new life. Please consider donating IJM to support their efforts to end human trafficking.

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Also,

Day 8

GO SAINTS! - Kelly

Dressember 5-7: Sex Trafficking is Real

 I'm just going be get real right now, There are people, girls and boys around the world, that are forced into slavery against their will- through threats, exploitation, and force. This is happening.

This is one of those things that is hard to forget and hard to not do something about. I'm not the only one participating in Dressember. Did you know that there are almost 1000 girls around the world standing together, in their dresses, so fellow women can be brought into freedom.? The goal of this month is not only to spread the word, but bring support to the issue. Please consider donating to IJM here.

December 4

December 5

December 6

December 7- Helping out at Help Portrait Chicago @ MissioDei.
Rockin the shirt & dress combo!

Every day I'm reminded...

Now that I'm a few days into this I'm realizing a few things....

1. I don't own as many dresses as I thought.
2. Moody dress code doesn't allow for as many of the dresses as I'd like to wear.
3. This is a month of lament.

For every dress I put on each morning I'm reminded of the women around the world who are being forced into skin tight skimpy dresses to stand on a street corner and attract male attention. They are unpaid, unable to leave and many of them under-aged.

For every dress I put on each morning a part of me breaks, knowing this problem is bigger than most realize and that for so many there is such hopelessness.

BUT for every dress I put on each morning I am filled with hope. Hope because 900+ women decided to stand together to fight.


Here is one of my favorite dresses thus far.

It has lace :)

Day Five.

December 2
My Dad and I before going to the air port to head back to school.
My mom found this fun & super warm fur scarf I wore to the airport 
- definitely overkill once I landed in Knoxville.

December 3
My roommate Katie getting in on the fun.

December 3
LAST DAY OF CLASSES!! YIPPIE

December 4
Long day of studying for finals

 I'm back in Knoxville after a great Thanksgiving break at home and I'm beginning to realize how long 31 days is. These past couple days have been in the 70s - perfect Dressember weather! 

It's been great being back in Knoxville because several people have asked what the point of this challenge was. Sharing with them what it's all about has made for cool conversations with people I wouldn't  have necessarily shared it with.

December 5
First final out of the way!

31 Days is a lot...

But it's worth it! Today I received my first donations to support International Justice Mission in their efforts to bring freedom to men, women, and children around the world. Thanks so much! 

Day 2                                             Day 3

Day 4

In 2010, I studied abroad in Athens, Greece where I was first introduced to human trafficking. As part of a service-learning course, I had the privilege of volunteering with Nea Zoi. During weekly outreach, I went brothel to brothel bringing coffee and conversation to women working as prostitutes. After a semester of volunteering, I knew I wanted to be more involved efforts to end human trafficking. If you want to get involved too, consider donating here!