Ending trafficking
I will always credit Dressember with my introduction to advocacy. I mean, I had first heard about human trafficking at a panel event at church, but I didn’t think there was much I could do about it until I got older and at least finished high school or something. Then, scrolling through Facebook I found out that simply changing what I wore could do something. It seemed unrealistic.
In true Alissa Pollard fashion I participated in my first year skeptically. I didn’t plan on posting much and didn’t really know what was going on, but I figured I couldn’t diss it until I gave it a chance. Here we are, six years later, participating in my fifth year (I was a little frustrated last year and knew I wouldn’t be able to advocate with a full heart… and most of my clothes were still in Bolivia…).
You guys have helped me raise over a thousand dollars for Dressember in the past, you helped me raise enough money to fund my time abroad (as chaotic as that was, I learned a lot and like to think I assisted IJM a little bit), and now I’m inviting you all to join me in Dressember 2020.
It can be hard to know how to approach an issue as massive as human trafficking when the definition itself is complex. I oftentimes refer to it as an equation because it can be any combination of the below: an act + mean = purpose. That means that human trafficking here in the United States can look incredibly different than in Bolivia, which looks incredibly different than in India. That is also why it is incredibly hard to talk about broadly.
Human trafficking doesn’t even have to include the transportation of someone.
In regards to Dressember, they partner with organizations they have vetted to fund certain projects and aspects of their programming. For example, they have supported IJM since year one and this year are helping with their Guatemala field office (which was hit incredibly heavily by recent funding cuts from the USA’s international budget). For a full list of Dressember’s partners, click here.
Now, I know some of you have been turned off by some of my more recent advocacy. I’m hopeful we can continue to have more conversation about this. For me, I can trace it all back to Dressember, and human trafficking. That being said, I know not everybody sees it that way. The shift for me came in college when I was digging more and more into human trafficking prevention and saw that the layers were deeper than I initially understood. That doesn’t mean we can’t find common ground in this movement.
The Morbid Metaphor:
As I kept seeking advice from different advisors, mentors, and leaders, I kept hearing the same analogy over and over again (it’s not a metaphor, but the alliteration made me happy).
“Imagine you’re walking down the path next to the river and you see a drowning baby float by. You stop in your tracks and then see another, and then another.”
Horrible, right?
“So what do you do? Some people jump in the water immediately to try and rescue the babies; some run upstream to see where, how, and why there are drowning babies; some create a safe place for the babies after they are out of the water; some start collecting donations for supplies for the survivors; some gather in a group and pray; and others pursue political change that will ensure this never happens again.”
Do you see where this is going?
We all have different skills, talents, passions, privileges, and capacities. Each person listed above is necessary, each role is vital, and your spot (or spots) in that lineup can change over time. Especially in the midst of a pandemic, I imagine many of our capacities have shifted.
What I encourage us to do is not give up, disconnect, or become complacent to what is happening around us. Even if we can’t do as much as we would normally like, there is still a lot we can do.
Dressember specifically: I would love it if you would consider donating to our team’s fundraising page. I would also love if you could share the word about dressember, share the posts, the donation links, or even just facts about human trafficking in general. I would also love it if you could join as an advocate. It’s not too late to sign up, or you could just advocate for a day! Post a picture with the information, the hashtag #dressember2020, and help spread the word.
Any little thing you can do would be greatly appreciated <3
My page has a goal of $500 and I’ve definitely seen a hit after not having Facebook. I might be biased, and even though all donations go to the same place, I think my page is the best to give to.
Noah has almost met his goal which is great because my dad has started a playful competition between the three of us. Plus, Noah’s birthday just passed so you could donate to his page in honor of that!
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which team member, or team, you donate to. Each donation to Dressember is going to fighting human trafficking and offering resources to survivors.
I’ve added a page on this site where I’m sharing my posts. For those who don’t follow me on instagram, you can check it out below. Otherwise, please don’t hesitate to ask questions, share, donate or get involved.