Gettin' Dressy in December

As December approaches, all thought is turned to the coming of the holiday season. The streets in Homer are decorated with glistening lights and snow is falling softly on the Village Green. Many families are excitedly decorating their homes with Christmas trees and hanging up their stockings.

However, for many people in the world, Christmas is not a time for celebrating. Around 4.5 million people will not be able to enjoy the holiday season. Who are these people? They are the victims of sex trafficking.

Sex trafficking is a form of modern slavery, and it is prominent across the globe. In order to raise awareness of the horrific slavery taking place both inside and outside the United States, many women and girls are taking part in “Dressember.”

Dressember is a movement where women and girls wear dresses or skirts everyday in December. Oftentimes they are sacrificing the comfort of warm and comfortable clothing in order to raise awareness for this important issue. Men and boys have also joined in the effort, transforming the movement to one that is inclusive to all. The men wear bowties everyday in December.

Homer High School students are even taking part in this extraordinary movement. Jenniellen Withers and Reagan O’Donnell can be seen wearing dresses during the cold winter month of December. By sacrificing their comfort for such an important cause, they hope to raise awareness for the cruelty of sex trafficking. If you see these young women around school (or braving the walk from the lower lot to the school) please feel free to compliment them or inquire further about their personal motivation for joining such a movement.

I hope that you will think about the happiness in your life during this holiday season and how you can help bring happiness to others as well!