If you haven’t heard then let me be the first to introduce you to Dressember. It’s been around for just seven years but is making a global impact. I interviewed Lisa Hepfer, a Jesus girl, mama, photographer, and social activist doing her part to serve women around the world one dress at a time.
Tiffany: Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Lisa: I’m kinda fun. I have short red curly hair. My number one strength is empathy. I am cheerleader at heart, I celebrate and encourage others!
I was an elementary school teacher before becoming a mom and photographer. I met my husband at a dance at college. His roommate told him to find the cutest girl at the dance and he chose me. We have a daughter 8, son 7, and a 1 year old through foster care.
Tiffany: What is Dressember?
Lisa: Participants in Dressember commit to wearing a dress every day for the month of December, harnessing the very femininity that often makes women targets of sexual and physical violence. Dress ember found, Blythe Hill, began her campaign in 2009 as a way to use her interests in fashion ad writing to shine a light on the worldwide oppression of women. The movement grew rapidly and in 2013, she leveraged the concept to begin fundraising for International Justice Mission (IJM), a global organization that partners with local authorities to rescue victims, bring criminals to justice, restore survivors, and strengthen justice systems in developing countries. In 2016, Dressember will also be raising funds for A21, a nonprofit that seeks to abolish human trafficking in the 21st century. A21 operates out of the UK, Australia, and the United States, serving as a sobering reminder that this is not an issue that only affects poor people in other countries.
No matter where you are in the world, the stigma of prostitution, the criminalization of victims, the grooming methods used by pimps, and the exploitation of the vulnerable make justice elusive for almost all of those who are caught in the web of human sex trafficking.
Tiffany: Why did it pull at your heart to participate?
Lisa: Last year I realized that my entire gender is discriminated against. I took it personally. I want to fight. I want to kick, bite and punch. I am angry. Dressember is my peaceful and creative way to fight back.
I want to be the type of person who stands up for others. Would I have demonstrated with women to gain the right to vote? Would I have harbored a Jew during the Holocaust? Would I have boycotted buses with Rosa Parks? I certainly hope I would.
I want to be a civil rights activist.
Everyone deserves freedom.
Last year, Jess Uhler, a photographer friend of mine, and I had a blast providing photos for Dressember team members called Beauty and Dignity. We thought, “Oh maybe we’ll get about a dozen ladies on our team, and raise $5,000. Won’t that be great?!” Well, lo and behold 59 women signed up for our team and we raised over $26,000! It goes to show that we’re hungry for a way to help.
Tiffany: What can we do?
Lisa: You can participate in Dressember. Go to Dressember.org and click on “Become an Advocate.” You are welcome to join our team, or start your own!
We appreciate any donations. Our goal is $35,000.
I’ve seen our team members be creative in their fundraising. They’ve offered to do something silly such as skiing or swimming in a dress if they reach their financial goal. Others have sold chalk prints, fine art prints, and small paintings of dresses. So many have used their gifts to raise fund for the cause.
Tiffany: How can we pray?
Lisa: Let’s pray for the men, women, and children in slavery. Let’s pray for their freedom.
All photos courtesy of Beauty and Dignity Dressember Team