Meet Alysa, in her 11th Year raising awareness and fighting human trafficking

"I think it's so easy to fall into a false sense of security as someone in North America that it's something that only happens in other countries, not in this country, not to people I would know."

I’m participating in Dressember to raise awareness about human trafficking through the lens of how the issue relates to art and mental health. I’m interviewing participants on the topic throughout the month. Learn more here.

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On the other hand, if you love this work, consider a paid subscription. I am donating ten percent of all December Substack income to Dressember. PLUS, for every five new annual subscriptions this month, I’m immediately subscribing to another Substacker to support other creatives writing about art and mental health.

What does Dressember mean to you? Why are you participating this year?

This is my 11th year participating in Dressember. It's a big part of what my December looks like. Every year, I find that I am learning new things that make me even more on fire for this cause.

My first year participating, I didn't have any kids. It was my second year participating when I had my newborn in my arms; she was all I could think of when I read any of the stories about children. It should not happen to any child, and it needs to stop.

What have the best parts and the most challenging parts been over the years?

The best part is the feeling I get when I receive a donation to my page. It makes me so happy to know that people care about this as much as I do, and donate their hard earned money to help stop human trafficking.

The most challenging part for me is the weather. I'm in Winnipeg, Canada, and it gets quite cold here. Usually it's about layering up and keeping warm, while still wearing the dress.

Another challenging part was the year that I had my daughter. It's so hard to get dressed at all when the likelihood you'll be spit up on is high.

In what ways does Dressember allow you to express yourself creatively while raising awareness and funds?

I've done a variety of different things each year that are more creative ways to raise awareness. In past years, I have done tiktoks, I had each day of the month be inspired by a strong/influential woman and wore things similar to what they wore, and I've tried to do action shots with all the kinds of things I do in a dress.

What is the aspect of Dressember's cause that you most want to highlight?

That it happens everywhere in the world. I think it's so easy to fall into a false sense of security as someone in North America that it's something that only happens in other countries, not in this country, not to people I would know. But it does. It happens in Canada and the USA all the time. It's important to talk about it here, too.

What do you wish people knew about human trafficking that you suspect most people don't know?

How much fast fashion relies on human trafficking and slavery. If something is so cheap that it doesn't make sense, this is why. Especially when it comes to hand made/crochet items. There is no such thing as a crochet machine so if you go into a store and are paying very little for a crochet item, it's because the person who made it either made a ridiculously low amount of money or nothing at all.

I appreciate so much that Alysa made this point. When I first participated in Dressember, this was something that I highlighted. Here’s an old article I wrote about that that links to a related interview that I did.

In your own words, how does wearing a dress every day for a month make a difference?

For me personally, it's the physical and visual reminder. This is happening all the time all over the world, and it needs to be talked about. Wearing a dress is such a small thing that I can do, sharing to my own circle is another. Getting the word out there so more people can help is huge.

What do you want people to know about your specific fundraising team and goal?

Since this is my 11th year, I'm raising $1,111.

Donate directly to Alysa’s Dressember fundraiser: in the US, in Canada. See her posts on Instagram and TikTok.

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