Your Passion has Purpose

As y’all know, I wore dresses every day of the month of December to raise money to help people out of human trafficking. My goal started at $350 and I was hoping and believing that I would get to that goal. When I decided on the goal of $350, I felt like that was a lot of money to be asking for, and that it might take a lot of time to get to that goal.

I started off the month of Dressember by sharing facts that people probably didn’t know about human trafficking and slavery. After one week, I was more than half way to my goal.

My mom had donated, and as soon as I saw the amount that she donated, and how it pushed me past the $100 mark, I couldn’t help but get emotional. I went downstairs with tears in my eyes and thanked her. I had wanted my goal to be met so badly, and I was hoping that I would make it. Her donation motivated me even more.

By the end of week two I had passed my goal of $350! So I raised my goal, which was soon met, and I raised it again.

By the end of December, I had raised a little more than $500, and I bumped my goal up to $850 for my final month of fundraising. I was hoping that while I was no longer wearing dresses, that the stories and information that I shared would be enough to make people donate to my campaign. I wanted to see people come out of slavery and trafficking, I didn’t want anyone to be forced into a life that they did not deserve.

The day before my final day of fundraising. I had typed out something to post and then checked my link to see how far away I was. When I clicked on the link, I thought that the website had glitched. I looked at my campaign website and found that I had met my goal exactly. Tears instantly welled up in my eyes and I couldn’t help but get emotional when thinking about all of the lives that could be saved and transformed with the money that I had raised.

I raised $500 more than what I thought I could have raised! Can you imagine if I had just given up at the $350 mark??

I’ve learned that, as individuals, we cannot do everything. BUT, everyone can do SOMETHING. Our passions will look different. You may not be as passionate about human trafficking awareness as I am, but you may have a lot of passion for something that I’m not as passionate about. But you know what? Your passions are important! If you are passionate about something, CHASE IT! Maybe it’s not what everyone around you is passionate about, but you being passionate about something might be important in helping other people.

If I would have been too discouraged to fundraise, or had too much doubt to raise my goal, than 18-43 people would not have the chance at a new life that my funds are able to offer. Movement has to start somewhere. Just like Dressember started with one person, it may take you transforming your passions into movements that set others free. I encourage you, whoever you are, to find what your passion/passions are and find a way to use them. Do not let them go to waste! Your passion has purpose!