One Dress. One Year.: One Girl's Stand against Human Trafficking by Bethany Winz
Co-sponsored by th J.V. Morsch Center of Social Justice and Waggoner Library as part of Human Trafficking Awareness Week
Bethany Winz is studying social justice at Trevecca Nazarene University where she's learning to love Nashville and the environment. Her other loves include Jesus, hot tea, good books, and bacon. As a writer, she processes the world best with words and blogs about the adventure of growing up and what she's learning about justice at www.bethanywinz.com. She grew up in Orlando, Florida, with her parents and her brother.
About the book:
How can one girl change the world? It all began with a heart for justice and a little black dress. In 2012, sixteen-year-old Bethany Winz decided to make a difference. To raise awareness, she determined to
- wear the same black dress every day for a year to bring attention to the lack of choices slaves have
- come up with new ways to accessorize the dress each day
- use her blog and pictures of her outfits to raise money for agencies helping those who were being trafficked
Her yearlong journey was one of hope, discipline, and sometimes disappointment. She celebrated some successes yet despaired at the depth of the problem. As she found her identity tied to the things she did, Bethany discovered that while she stood for freedom for others, she also struggled to find her own freedom in believing that she was loved just as she was. This moving book shows readers that their voices matter, they can make a difference, and sometimes the smallest gestures have lasting impact.
The book can be ordered on Amazon
From Bethany: Each day I posted a photo of how I wore the dress. By the end of the year, I wore it in 366 different ways. (Yeah, I picked a Leap Year.) At the end, I collected all those pictures and put them in a video to give an overview of my journey through the year.
That year we gave $8,615 to end slavery. The money went to the International Justice Mission, the Not for Sale Campaign, The A21 Campaign, Compassion International, Restore International, and Love 146. It was used to intervene in situations where people were being trafficked, provide rehabilitation services, and prevent human trafficking in vulnerable communities.
When sixteen-year-old Bethany Winz learned about the millions of men, women, and children around the world trapped in slavery, her stomach churned. How can anyone do that to another human being? she wondered. And why aren't we doing something?
This is the story of Bethany's "something."
Journey with her as she wears the same black dress every day for a year to focus attention on the lack of choices people in modern-day slavery face and raise money to help end human trafficking. As Bethany works to bring freedom to people worldwide, she'll discover how much she too needs freedom. You'll be inspired not only to change the world in your own way but also to experience the life-changing freedom of God's irrepressible love.
"Bethany is part of a brave new generation of leaders following Jesus as they engage with some of the world's most difficult issues--and most vulnerable people. I encourage you to listen to her creative and courageous voice inviting others on a journey to freedom!"--Jennifer Roemhildt Tunehag, cofounder and core team member, European Freedom Network Global Human Trafficking Task Force, World Evangelical Alliance
"Raw, witty, and unafraid, One Dress. One Year. is a primer on moving from passion to action that is courageously honest about the inevitable stops at disillusioned and disheartened along the way. This book is a must-read for any young person passionate about justice but unsure where to begin--or if their efforts will even matter."--Jim Martin, vice president of spiritual formation, International Justice Mission; author of The Just Church
