I Don't Want to Do Dressember Anymore.

I’m gonna be really really honest right now.

I don’t want to do Dressember anymore. I’m tired of wearing dresses. I. Am. Lazy. I don’t want to look nice anymore. I don’t want to take pictures and come up with quotes and captions. I don’t want to beg for money or try to make people care about a cause they would rather just ignore. I don’t want to think up creative ways to promote it. I don’t want to check my page constantly to see if someone gave. I don’t want to do it anymore.

But then I read about little girls that get rescued. I see a video from IJM of little boys who are no longer slaves—they’ve been freed from a life of working on fishing boats as child labor, enslaved and forced to work despite the danger of the job and the likelihood of drowning. I read an update from A21 about a woman finally being rescued from a brothel, and about the restoration she’s experiencing.

It. Is. Worthy.

I’m a follower of Jesus, and so I truly believe that all people are worthy of dignity, of love, of freedom. Jesus died to give people freedom, he died because he loves people, he died because he saw value and worth in human life. Because I follow Jesus, I wanna be like that. I want to expose people to freedom. I want to show people love. I want to affirm people of their worth and value. It’s almost easier to do this for the slave that lives in India than for the student next to me in class or the person walking by me at Target. But I want to be someone who lives out these beliefs, and, for me, Dressember is a way I can spend a month focusing in on that.

This year, I know I might not raise enough money to meet my goal ($1,000 is a lot of money!). I know that I might not get as many interactions online or even in person to talk about Dressember. I know my posts might not get shared as much, or that people aren’t as fascinated by this anymore, or that the cuteness of me doing Dressember in high school has worn off. But I’m going to keep doing it. Something I’ve learned pretty recently is that sometimes you won’t see the impact you make, that sometimes it takes years to see the fruit of your labor. But you have to keep laboring, keep working, keep doing, even when you want to quit. The rewards—if the labor is for a worthy thing—are incredible in comparison to the work. So I will keep on doing Dressember. And I’ll keep on doing it for as long as I can, for as long as there are still people in slavery. Because I believe that the children being rescued are worthy. I believe the restoration to young women is worthy. I believe the promotion of freedom, dignity, and love are worthy.

Do you? I’m sure you value freedom, dignity, and love. I really don’t want to guilt trip you into giving to my campaign, or to make you feel bad if you don’t have anything to give. But I do want to promise this—any amount you can give, any sacrifices you make so you can give--the results are worthy. The life-changing work that the Dressember partners do is worthy. People are worthy.

I don't want to do Dressember anymore because I don't want there to be slavery anymore. Can you help make that happen?  

Below is the link to donate to my page. Please donate as you feel led, remembering that the freedom, dignity, and love that people will experience as a result of your gift are worthy. 

https://dressember.funraise.org/fundraiser/karla-johnson

WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES

When people ask me about Dressember, I love to tell them about IJM and A21. Why??? Their work is absolutely amazing. They are leaders in anti-trafficking. These organizations operate with great compassion, urgency, and innovation. They are continually seeking new ways to meet victims where they are at. They are world changers.

I'll begin with International Justice Mission. IJM is a global organization committed to promoting justice for the poor. Their made aim is to protect the poor from violence--whether that be slavery, sex trafficking, sexual violence, police brutality, property grabbing, or citizen rights abuse. Dressember donations go specifically to their slavery and sex trafficking cases. IJM operates by rescuing victims, bringing criminals (like traffickers, pimps, people who buy people) to justice, restoring survivors, and strengthening justice systems in developing countries to further prevent incidences of violence. Since its inception, IJM has rescued over 25,000 individuals from violence and oppression--WOW! That's greater than the population of good ol' Sand Springs, Oklahoma. Their work also helps protect over 21 million people from violence around the globe through their work of justice system reform and through prosecuting traffickers. They work in over a dozen field offices around the globe in South America, Africa, and Asia, and their goal is sustainable protection in communities in the developing world.

Another great thing about IJM is that it was founded with a Christian worldview. The CEO believes that we need God on our side to accomplish the end of slavery. They have prayer resources, they try to get church leaders and churches involved, and employees begin their workday with prayer. They are committed to implementing the justice that God so loves and speaks about all through the Bible. IJM takes seriously the commands to help the poor and oppressed. I love it.

Check out this story of change in India:

http://www.ijm.org/articles/recent-convictions-indicate-crackdown-impunity-sex-traffickers

Basically IJM is amazing and I love everything they do. They do so much good and they are changing the world.

You can read more about them here: http://www.ijm.org/who-we-are

Next is The A21 Campaign. A21 aims to end human trafficking through prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships. A21 has developed several awareness and education programs for a variety of ages to prevent human trafficking from happening. They have programs for children and adults that have information on how to avoid becoming victims, as well as how to raise awareness and support. For protection against trafficking, they have online human trafficking hotlines and support local law enforcements, the FBI, etc to rescue victims from their abusers. They also aim to restore victims in their aftercare facilities. A21 also works with communities to give survivors of human trafficking legal advice in prosecuting their traffickers and to reform laws so that trafficking is punished more harshly and effectively. A21 makes good use of partnerships by partnering with passionate people and organizations around the globe, as well as with governments in the areas where they work.

A21 works around the globe--from California and North Carolina to Norway, Greece, the Netherlands, to Thailand, to South Africa, and more. They are doing wonderful work are are creating a movement of awareness and effort to end human trafficking.

One of my favorite things about A21 is that they offer so many practical ways for individuals to make a difference. Not only can you volunteer in their facilities in California and North Carolina (if you ever move there :-) ), but they've made a list of 21 ways you can help:
http://www.a21.org/content/21-ways-to-help/gjdpl5?permcode=gjdpl5&linkid=2675

You can read about one of their most recent success stories here:
http://us9.campaign-archive2.com/?u=54c5e620250c1f5919bdc2ccf&id=e8efd4ae4d


When you donate to Dressember, you are giving to these awesome causes. They use your money wisely, and they make a huge impact on our globe.

I'd like to point out one thing--85% of each Dressember donation goes to A21 and IJM. The other 15%, it goes to further Dressember. About 5% pays for credit card processing fees from the donations, and the other 10% goes towards administrative tasks, advertising, and other expenses that promote and expand the impact and reach of Dressember. It's not making anyone rich, it's making Dressember bigger and better so that more and more awareness and money can be given to end human trafficking. This 15% overhead cost is typically for non-profits. It's pretty great, actually. Your money is in good hands. Please consider giving a gift today!

Here is my challenge:

Think about one sacrifice that you can make to donate to Dressember. For me, I'm giving up warm legs :-) and the amount of money I would spend on a gift for myself (don't pretend you don't buy yourself a Christmas gift.)
Can you give up Starbucks for a week to donate $20?
Can you give up buying that extra stocking stuffer for your dog to donate $5? (don't pretend you don't buy your dog a Christmas gift).
Can you give up the amount you just saved on Black Friday, or maybe the amount you would have spent on a gift for me or someone who would love to see the end of human trafficking?

Give as you feel led. But don't for a second believe that a small gift or a small won't make a difference. As of today, this year's campaign has raised over $500,000 in a little over a week. This large sum is not a result of a handful of wealthy donors. No, it's a result of over TEN THOUSAND donors who decided to make small sacrifices in order to see the end of human trafficking. You can be a part of this. Consider supporting A21 and IJM today.

https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraiser/823026

Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and encouraging and wonderful. I'm so thankful.

Karla

Dressember FAQ's and How YOU Can Help!

Hi! I’m so happy you’re here. I love talking about human trafficking, and I’m excited that you’re willing to listen!

For this first Dressember post, I thought I would open up with some FAQ’s!

1.     What is Dressember?

I’m so glad you’ve asked! Dressember is a 31 day fundraising and awareness-raising campaign that's focus is to educate the masses about the global issue of human trafficking (aka, forced prostitution, slave labor, child prostitution, child labor, and etc things in which human rights are violated in the form of slavery! BOO). 

Dressember is a group of women (and some men!) around the globe who advocate for slaves around the world through making a simple decision each day in December--wearing a dress. What started as a fashion challenge turned into a symbol for advocacy. Wear a dress--a symbol of femininity--to make a statement and educate our friends about something that is happening to people who are exploited for their femininity. It's simple--but not easy!

Dresses aren't popular attire for December. And that's why we do it. I can not tell you how many times I've been asked why I am wearing a dress when there is snow on the ground, and that's the point! It begins a conversation about human trafficking, and I'm able to tell them all about an issue that a lot of people simply don't know about.

And we raise money, too! Over the past four years, we’ve raised around $3 million!!! That has funded numerous rescue missions and has given freedom to people around the globe. I praise God for Dressember because it has given me a practical way to make a difference for something I am so passionate about!

Dressember participants gain supporters and sponsors to donate to two AMAZING organizations that actually do rescue missions--how cool!!! International Justice Mission and a21 campaign are two of the leading organizations that aim and act to eradicate the world of slavery. They work to educate, prevent, and restore victims of human trafficking. They are literally GOALS (like actually working for them is my legit career goals) and the work they do is phenomenal.

2.     Why do you do it?

God has given me a heart for survivors of human trafficking. It all started when my mom told me stories about DaySpring Villa, a local shelter for adult victims of sex trafficking. Hearing these stories sparked an interest in me, and over the next few years I did research and fell in love with the idea of growing up to be a counselor for these victims. As a senior in high school, I went on a college visit and heard a sermon that spoke all about human trafficking when the question was posed: who is going to stop this?

And in my heart, before I could talk my mind out of it, I knew that the answer to that question was me. “I will,” said my heart, and I knew I was going to do it. Since then, I haven’t been able to see myself as any career other than one that benefitted these trafficked people.

A few months later, since I guess I like tweeted about human trafficking every once in a while, Twitter recommended that I follow a page called Dressember, so I looked at it—a campaign to fight human trafficking. So literally like 2 days before December 2014, I signed up, and I did it. And I was shocked at the support I had received. I raised over 350 dollars my first year, and I knew that Dressember would be something I would continue to be a part of for years to come. I was just a high school student who decided to wear a dress and post a picture for 31 days, and somehow I was able to make a difference.

#TBT to my first day in my first year of Dressember. Wasn't even cold :-)

Since then, I’ve learned more about human trafficking, about fundraising, and about giving myself as a servant to others. I’ve studied justice, I’ve read about new forms of trafficking, I’ve followed the updates of IJM and a21 and other anti-slavery initiatives. I’ve challenged myself to buy only fair-trade or second hand clothing (lol this is dang hard and I’ve failed many times, but I’m getting better!). I’ve grown, and I know that Dressember plays a huge part in that.

I know in my heart that being an advocate for trafficked people will always be an important part of my life.

3.     How can I help?

Thank goodness you asked. You are the one that does all the helping! There are so many things you can do, so I’ve put them in a list.

1)    Donate to Dressember.

Rescue missions cost money. Aftercare costs money. Being awesome costs money. It’s kind of how the world works. If you are financially able (or if you are willing to cut back on something for a while!), consider donating. Dressember gives 85% of each donation to IJM and a21. The other 15% is overhead that Dressember uses for marketing, promotions, administrative tasks, and other very typical non-profit actions (Don’t worry, I’m a not-for-profit business administration certificate student as TU. This 15% is really good for a non-profit!!) My goal this year is to raise $1,000! Can you help me out??

https://dressember.funraise.org/fundraiser/karla-johnson

2)    Join the cause!

It’s not too late—there are plenty of days in December ahead! You have a unique group of people that you can impact! Think of all the people you can tell about human trafficking, and all the friends and family who would love to support a cause you love! You have influence, and people are watching you and looking up to you more than you know. Use that influence for something like this. All it takes is a dress and some determination!

https://dressember.funraise.org/team/tulsa-dressember

3)    Sharing is caring!

So you’re #broke or you don’t really feel comfy participating this year, that’s totally cool! You can still make a difference. Knowledge like this is free folks! Share my stuff! Throughout the month I will be tweeting, posting, and sharing facts about human trafficking. Statistics, stories, all that good stuff. You can be an advocate without being a participant—share this information!!!! You have no idea who will read it and be impacted by it and act on it. You might inspire some of next year’s participants!!

4)    #MakeUsFamous

As promised, the results of the pic I posted on FB and Instagram....Sorry Campus Maintenance... #trynabecutebutlookawk

I get it, sharing on social media is a big commitment sometimes. It’s hard to keep a low profile when you share all of my 5 billion posts a day. Fine. Do me a favor: like my posts, and like other Dressember participants posts. Comment. When you do these actually 100% 0 effort things, you’re promoting our content, which means more people will see it! Facebook and Instagram do this weird thing where they post popular (more likes and comments) things first, so they get more exposure. When we get more exposure, it means more people are being educated about HT, and when more people are educated, it means more people will give us $$$$ (see point 1)

5)    Give in other ways.

Do you have a small business, or a really cool product, or maybe a closet of 3,000 dresses you’ll never wear again? Think about sharing your resources with us. Your products and donations can be awesome prizes for promotional giveaways!!  For instance, a few days this month I’ll be giving away some fair-trade jewelry to the person who donates the most to my campaign, and I’m doing a prize drawing for people who share a certain post. The more cool things we have to give away, the more promotions we can do! And extra dresses = less outfit work for us! If we won’t use them, we will donate them to DaySpring Villa, so it’s a win win!

6)    EDUCATE YOURSELF!!!!

LEARN MORE!!! Educate yourself about your world!!! Get pumped about doing great things! Find who you are passionate about serving! Do what you love to help other people! But also read about my passions here.!

Watch this Ted Talk by Dressember's Founder!

https://youtu.be/MGuTpWTcSE8

Learn about International Justice Mission

https://www.ijm.org/who-we-are

Inform yourself about A21! 

http://www.a21.org/

7)    PRAYER!!!!!!!

Human trafficking is a really, really big problem. Remember how I said I raised $350 dollars my first Dressember? Multiply that 350 times 100,000, and that’s how many slaves there are around the globe. That is absolutely crazy. 35 million (different estimates vary from 30-40 million, and this could very well be an underestimate).

We can’t end this injustice alone. It’s too big of a task to handle. We need God. Please join me and my team in prayer for the end of human trafficking. I would love to never have to participate in Dressember again. I would love to not have a future job! Here is a link to ways you can pray against trafficking!

http://karladressember.blogspot.com/2016/12/how-to-pray.html

WOW that was a long post. Hope I answered some questions and provided some useful insight!!! I'm thankful for your support in reading this blog post! You rock!!!!

Love, Karla

How to Pray Against Trafficking

Prayer is powerful. I intended to create a list of requests and verses to pray over victims of human trafficking, but then I noticed that the internet has supplied this already (yay internet). Instead, I will share with you some of the guides I found! Here is the challenge:

1. Choose one (or multiple!) of the guides below
2. Pray one point every day in December!
3. Share any insights, thoughts, or feelings in the comments below or on social media! I'd love to hear what God does in you through your prayers, and I can't wait to see how your prayers impact our globe.


Optional: Invite other's to pray too. Print off one of the graphics below, pass it out in your bible study, youth group, or church. Give it to your grandma, your prayer partner, your BFF, anyone. Only God is big enough to rid this earth of injustice.

It's that easy, folks!

Before we begin, here are some tips from Street Hope, an organization committed to fighting domestic minor sex trafficking in Knoxville, Tennessee!

10 Ways to use 31 Verses to Pray Against Human Trafficking

1. Alone in your quiet time
2. With a prayer partner
3. Keep a copy in the car for free moments
4. Choose one scripture to pray at your evening meal time
5. Start your morning by praying one scripture daily
6. Use this list with your small group in a joint prayer time
7. Share these verses through your social media
8. Distribute this list to friends at church
9. Post a link to the PDF on your Facebook page
10. Hang up the list on your mirror as a reminder to pray

Alright, let's get started!

1) Here is the rest of the guide from Street Hope, from above! They give us 31 Bible verses to pray through!
http://www.streethopetn.org/prayer/31-verses-to-pray-against-human-trafficking/

2) Below is an awesome guide to A21's own prayer guide. It's a simply graphic that is easy to share on social media and with your church! Print it out and give it to your donors! Awesome things can be done with this graphic!!! This is my favorite one for printing and sharing!!!!!
http://aheartforjustice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/a21-prayer-guide.pdf

3) IJM's website gives you the option of signing up to be their prayer partner--they'll send you emails every week or so to give you more things to pray for! How cool?
http://www.ijm.org/get-involved/pray

4) Here is one I found on Facebook. It's pretty thorough, and easy to share on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/notes/nazarene-compassionate-alliance-northwest/prayer-guide-against-human-trafficking/1168744289805410/

5) Even the Salvation Army has got it goin' on! Check out there super extensive prayer guide that also gives you the opportunity to pray for very specific organizations that are working in their communities to end human trafficking.
http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/7DF14EFBE24A5DCF80256E5A0018252F#rescue


This is by no means and extensive list. I just googled stuff and shared what I thought were some of the best resources! I haven't even picked one yet, but I'm excited to commit to prayer against human trafficking! Let's do this!

#sorrynotsorry for my terrible blogging skills :-)

Love,
Karla