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June Dresses

Empowering Women Through Dress

My 2019 adventure of 30 days without pants

By Cadence Mutch, July 4, 2019

Cadense Mutch collageMy 2019 adventure of 30 days without pants was a memorable one.

This is my sixth year partaking in June Dresses, and every year turns into a bigger movement; one that all started with a closet full of dresses.

My Inspiration

I was inspired to take part in this fundraiser by one of my favourite teachers, Adrienne Donnelly.

She began June Dresses with this simple goal in mind: We believe empowering women is key to building a great community for all. It helps create stronger families and confident individuals, which will strengthen the lives of those around us. We chose the power of dresses to help show our belief in this statement.

I remember in my first year the only question I had been asked is “are you tired of wearing all those dresses yet?” And the truth? When doing my month of dresses, I had never wanted to throw on a pair of sweatpants more in my life.

Cadense Mutch June DressesThe thing is, it isn’t the dress that gives me magical confidence… It’s the fact that I had been taking the time and effort into putting forward my best, happiest, most confident self, just by taking the extra minutes to throw on a simple sundress and do my hair.

If by just wearing a dress, I can inspire a woman to make a small change in the way they view themselves, both confidence-wise and happiness-wise, then I’m doing this for all the right reasons.

I hope that in doing this each year, it empowers the women around me to become influential, respectable members of society. It’s much bigger than a dress to me.

Mental Rescue Society

This year I am working for my third season in the Slave Lake forest area as a Wildfire Dispatcher, and in the fall, I begin the start of the long road of my psychology degree. In turn, I chose to fundraise for the Mental Rescue Society, which focuses not only on the importance of mental health and affordable counseling but the dire need to support first responders with PTSD.

Cadense Mutch airplane
They are a group of like-minded individuals bringing light to the shadows of mental health. Every day thousands of people struggle to achieve what they feel is their definition of normal.

Together through public campaigns, their goal is to increase awareness and support existing programs and services for all individuals and their families concerned with mental health.

Sacrificing for the Greater Good

Cadense Mutch June DressesGrowing up in a first responder home, I spent my Saturdays at the fire hall. I’ve been inside more firehouses than I can count, playing around on equipment I probably shouldn’t have been on, hanging out with “the guys,” and even playing in the fire trucks. Most kids I knew growing up had dads that wore suits to work, whereas mine wore bunker gear and fire boots. However, when you run into burning buildings for a living, there are obvious dangers.

A lot of the time, people seem to forget that behind the men and women in masks and air tanks, there are families worried sick about them. As a fire family, we were expected to put our own wants and needs aside so that our Dad could be there for another family on potentially the worst day of their life. We learned at a young age about sacrificing for the greater good and I believe it helped to make my siblings’ and me become better people. We all have the desire to help others and have volunteered in many capacities to try to make our world a bit safer, brighter and better.

Cadense Mutch June DressesIt takes a special kind of person willing to take on the challenge of responding to life-threatening emergencies. Having grown up in a volunteer fire family, I’ve experienced having to plan family outings around on-call weekends, functions we planned to attend being cancelled or delayed because the page has gone off, or the worry about the safety of my father when he was out protecting others.

I also discovered the amazing friends and brotherhood that you gain from being a part of a volunteer fire family. I know how important it is to raise funds for people like this, so other families like mine help support their first responder.

My dad taught me to be aware of the world younger than most because he saw things other people don’t see. He ran calls where some kids were playing with matches and people received third-degree burns. He’s seen the girl who slammed her car into a telephone pole because she was texting her friend instead of paying attention to the road. He sees these things and doesn’t want them to happen to my brothers or me.

We have been lucky; he has always made it home. Some families aren’t so lucky.

PTSD in the Community

Due to being raised in this environment, I’ve also seen the effects of PTSD in the community.

Cadense Mutch June Dresses First RespondersFirst responders are twice as likely to suffer from PTSD. Most people don’t realize it, but they look to first responders on their darkest, most horrible days.

That’s what firefighters do; they try to save people from their worst nightmares and risk their lives doing so. If you ask me, that makes firefighting an admirable profession, but also a dangerous one.

The mental health of first responders is something I truly feel is not paid attention to enough or treated before its too late.

Momentum Walk-in Counselling

The Mental Rescue Society is based in Edmonton Alberta. They are proud partners of Canada Mental Health Society, and Momentum Walk-in Counselling, a program I myself have turned to before.

Momentum is a mental health triage centre, helping individuals who cannot pay for, or must wait for aid through the traditional healthcare system. They are a nonprofit, walk-in agency providing support and guidance to people in need of counselling services.

Momentum is staffed by a team of volunteer, registered health professionals who collaborate to provide clients solution-focused therapy.

My dad’s career inspired me to try to follow in his footsteps. I am half way through my third wildfire season with the Slave Lake forest area as a Wildfire Dispatcher, which I return to every year with so much joy. After my second season, I traveled to San Francisco to take the Emergency Fire Dispatch Certificate program, which I successfully passed with a 92%.

I then applied to serval jobs, passed a few screening processes and ultimately had some heartbreak with rejection calls. I think my age plays a factor in the hiring considerations for this important but often stressful work.

Cadense Mutch June DressesRather than be discouraged by the process, I thought there may be a way that I could improve my skill set and learn more about things which could help me pursue a career that would help and assist first responders.

Helping People

I have always had an interest in helping people on both practical and emotional levels.

I have participated in various girl empowerment workshops in my youth as both a participant and a facilitator. I have been a champion of the underdog my whole life whether it be standing up to a bully, helping welcome a new student, or defending someone who is being marginalized in some way.

I have a big heart and compassion for others. I believe that is largely due to the model my family has shown me in my Dad’s years of volunteer work in SAR and the fire service. It is woven into my DNA and I am not satisfied unless I am challenging myself to help others.

I have a thirst to learn new things and am proud to say I have been accepted to Grant MacEwan University for the Bachelor of Arts program. I plan to declare a major in Psychology as that seems to be a natural fit for both my empathic personality and my desire to help others. My hope is to pursue a career as a registered psychologist, and not only shine a light on the reality of PTSD in all first responders but to offer support for those injuries that are unseen by most.

Donors Stories

This year I raised a grand total of $3,700, which is the most I have ever raised.

With most of my donations, I received a story from donors about why they felt inspired to donate. One of my donors (who anonymously gave $1,000) reached out to me and shared their life’s story. After losing their partner to cancer, and working so many years in the fire industry, the grief and PTSD had caught up.

This is a piece of their story that I would like to share:

Grief is both universal and unique. What has helped me may not be what somebody else finds useful. Struggling for some sense of control, early on I selected two strategies. One was to not hold back but let it all out; I would talk and write for hours. The other was to study grief, learn all I could about it. Studying grief, I developed what I called my grief library. I soon read several things that may seem obvious, but still surprised me: how big grief is, how unique to each person, how long it lasts. What else helped? Self-care, eating well, exercising, trying for normal sleep. Professional help, a counselor or psychologist. The simplest suggestion I found was, whatever feels good, and do that, for me that was time outdoors. What I call my baby therapy, hard not to feel better holding a baby. Helping others, volunteering, taking me outside myself.

Cadense Mutch June DressesYou may not know who is grieving, or who might need a little more love or compassion. My word of advice? Treat everyone a little more kindly; give the support you would hope for on your worst day. Check on your strong friends, your quiet friends, your happy friends, and your creative friends.

Just check on each other and love each other.

Thank You

I want to take a moment to say thank you to my donors, my friends, and family who support me every year and help get my posts out there, and to those who follow along. It makes each day of this month so exciting, and I look forward to more years to come.

– Cadence Mutch

Dresses and Flip-Flops – My Favourite June Dresses Memory

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Intro to June Dresses

#JUNEDRESSES

My name is Cadence Mutch (@cadencemutch) and this My name is Cadence Mutch (@cadencemutch) and this is my seventh year participating in June Dresses! Today they are letting me take over their Instagram page!
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A little about me: This year I’m working as a Wildfire Dispatcher for my fourth season in the Slave Lake district, and this April I completed the first year of my Psychology degree. .
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With COVID-19 affecting the better part of 2020, and seeing how it has affected all of the first responders, working hard to ensure our safety, while dealing with the effects of the pandemic on their own families, personal lives and mental health, I felt focusing on first responder mental health was important and something where I could make a positive impact. I have chosen to fund-raise for OSI-CAN.
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OSI-CAN operates solely through private donations, which allow them to travel the provinces conducting support groups and raising awareness. The funds also facilitate the purchase of service dogs and participation in equine therapy for clients who would most benefit from these types of support. A network of service providers is also being established to link clients with other services necessary for their recovery such as housing, counselling, vocational training, psychosocial rehabilitation, etc. .
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So far I have raised $1245.00, with my goal being $1500.00! My June Dresses fundraising page is: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/june-dresses-2020/

#JuneDresses #empoweringwomenthroughdress #30DaysOfDresses
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT . We have organized a spectacular BIG ANNOUNCEMENT .
We have organized a spectacular weekend of Instagram story takeovers for you! .
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Honouring the foundations of June Dresses being a peer-to-peer endeavour of women supporting women, we wanted to 'pass the mic'.
@cadencemutch @jonelonaga and @billie_by_design will be gracing us with stories from their JD Journeys ALL WEEKEND LONG! .
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Be sure to tune into our stories this weekend to hear from them, and show them some love! .
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R E P O S T "Halfway through @junedresses - A gent R E P O S T
"Halfway through @junedresses - A gentle reminder that I am raising money for the @winhouseshelter. Domestic abuse has increased during this pandemic and shelter are extremely underfunded, so feel free to make a donation. #empoweringwomen #stoptheviolence #enddomesticviolence"
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Head over to @suewiden's page to follow their JD journey to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Home is not always a safe place for everyone, and COVID quarantine has not helped. But supporting @winhouseshelter just might!
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How's your self care going? Are you finding ways t How's your self care going? Are you finding ways to love summer? Have you taken time out to replenish? Peace, joy, inspiration... what has been getting you through these days? .
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The JD admin has been spending this week in one-on-one conversations within our communities, and it has been so, so, lovely. It's easy to forget how vital a personal check-in is for shared connection and growth. .
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Feel free to share with us in the comments, the best connections you have felt this week, and what you are doing to stay grounded! 
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We have been truly moved by the JD community this We have been truly moved by the JD community this week. There has been collective support, in various forms, for local efforts in the @blklivesmatter movement. None of this counts unless it is authentic, and none of it counts until it is local. .
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In Alberta, the government is moving to pass Bill 1, which would make it increasingly difficult for Albertians to express their dissatisfaction through protest. The bill specifically targets protests along oil field and pipeline builds, which is a primary tool for First Nations communities to protect their lands. 
We have a link in the highlight from @fridaysforfuture.calgary to learn more! And a letter template link in our bio 👆
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There is so much more work to be done... and we will continue to do it.
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#junedresses #empoweringwomenthroughdress #dolocalgood #canva #michelleobamaquote #supportlocal #activateloacal #ableg
Sharing a moment of peace with June Dresses partic Sharing a moment of peace with June Dresses participant @agonybeed who has chosen to honour her self care needs this month, by being on social media less. Instead, she is collecting all of her photos in a Google album to document her first year of participating in JD. 
#selfcareandsummerlove
#junedresses2020 #empoweringwomenthroughdress
What is intersectionality? Implemented by @kimberl What is intersectionality?
Implemented by @kimberlecrenshaw "intersectionality" is a framework for understanding how multiple forms of oppression can be experienced by a single individual. .
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For example: a White woman may experience oppression due to her gender, and experience power due to her race. A Black woman, however experiences oppression due to both her gender and race. Where the Black women's race and gender meet is an "intersection" of oppression. .
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Through the #sayhername initiative, Crenshaw challenges social justice advocates and charities to pay special attention to intersectionality when working within their communities. Age, religion, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, are all areas where an individual may experience oppression, so it is necessary we pay close attention to these variable factors when striving to provide equality, and mend our broken systems.
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. 📷 artwork: taken from the "What is Intersectionality" youtube video by Peter Hopkins
R E P O S T : @popculturedeejah "We're still mostl R E P O S T :
@popculturedeejah "We're still mostly quarantining here at home so, many posts will be of me "doing" chores + such. 👗 Collective Concepts 👟 Converse (Barkroot Brown) 
#georgefloyd #blm #saytheirnames 
#1of30 #junedresses #30daysofdresses"

Doing the daily work of living @popculturedeejah has dedicated each day of June to one person who has lost their life to racial violence. $10 for every 10 likes, all proceeds go to @aclu_nationwide so be sure to like, and share, and get your friends to like and share her JD campaign!
empowerment noun, em·​pow·​er·​ment | \ i empowerment noun, em·​pow·​er·​ment | \ im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r-mənt

1. the act or action of empowering someone or something : the granting of the power, right, or authority to perform various acts or duties

2. the state of being empowered to do something : the power, right, or authority to do something .
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Our work is not separate from the injustices we see spreading across our screens now. You not only have power, you can give power.

Ask yourself: How does the cause I've chosen to support directly impact marginalized individuals? Learn how you can help those voices be heard. .
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It is not Black Lives vs. All Lives, it is not Men vs. Women. It is all of us, against injustice.
...Let's get to work.
Instagram post 2322717923323704538_1268088354 Instagram post 2322717923323704538_1268088354
Day one and @jazzmineraine has hit the ground runn Day one and @jazzmineraine has hit the ground running. Follow this incredible woman on her JD journey to provide micro-grants to social justice activists across India.
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"As a leader for social impact, I can't do nothing in this time. Actually, I can't seem to do enough. That's why I've decided to dedicate the next 30 days to financially support 30 organizations and individuals that I believe deserve support and recognition for their work. .
My June Dresses fundraiser is a 30-in-30 challenge: 30 micro-grants in 30 days. The goal is to raise $3000 - $100 a day. This will be used towards providing $100 micro Grant's to well deserving social and environmental impact brands and entrepreneurs in India."
It is June tomorrow??? . . Yes, even we are unprep It is June tomorrow??? .
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Yes, even we are unprepared! Who cares though? There are 1000 other things going on. If you feel late to the party, we get it.
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Good news? We have all month! We've put together this graphic to remind you how it works!
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June Dresses is primarily about self care and summer love! An additional upside is raising awareness for your favourite womxn's issues. .
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If you've chosen to fundraise this year, remember your community may not be able to give $$$ like they have before. Consider other forms of community building ♡
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Tag us, and use our hashtags so we can support you, and raise your voice.
Let's go!
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This is the moment. "Scratch that this is not a mo This is the moment. "Scratch that this is not a moment it's a movement." .
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We have watched in heartache, in terror, in arrogance, in priviledge, our whole lives. And for all the lives before us. If this doesn't make us furious, nothing will. No more watching. Time to act, to dismantle generations of racism, outward and within. .
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We have tagged a number of our favourite educators in this post. Follow them.
Thank you to @claudiasahuquillo for this striking image.
Celebrating mothers. The women who teach us why, Celebrating mothers. 
The women who teach us why, and how. The women we look to for strength and guidance. The women who show up to care for the next generation. 
Mothers past, present, future, lost, stolen, adopted, honorary, and all the feelings... Thank-you for helping to build a legacy for us. •
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If today is a difficult day for you, reach out to your support network. Don't let social media overwhelm your senses. •
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The weather is getting better, and being in isolat The weather is getting better, and being in isolation has gotten old! At this point it's hard to remember the importance of social distancing. 
Social 👏 distancing 👏 is 👏 so 👏 important 👏
Growing our bubbles of interaction should be a slow and gradual process. Take care of each other and continue to watch your own mental health as we go along. Here are some of the tips from @who to help.

#JuneDresses #empoweringwomenthroughdress #30daysofdresses #femeoutfront #socialdistancing #stage1
Womxn! Femes! Ladies! Doesn't everything feel rea Womxn! Femes! Ladies! 
Doesn't everything feel really heavy these days? 
Between watching the world disintegrate around us, to throwing any semblance of routine in the garbage, it's hard to think about gearing up for June Dresses this year, isn't it? 
Well, we've been thinking, and we want to remind everyone, ourselves included, that June Dresses is all about feeling good in our bodies! That looks different for everyone, and depends heavily on the mental state.

Maybe you can't find it in yourself to donate this year, maybe your community already feels run dry. That is so okay!
What are other ways we can show our support for each other, take care of ourselves, and hold up a megaphone for female voices? That's what we will be exploring together this May, and hopefully, come June, we will all get to celebrate a holistic month of women's wellness.

#empoweringwomenthroughdress #JuneDresses #empowerment #thefutureisfemale #femeoutfront #equality #womensrightsarehumanrights #femepower #30daysofdresses #30daychallenge
Beautiful art, and a very important reminder from Beautiful art, and a very important reminder from @theresgoodinstore 
Be gentle. Be radical.
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#JuneDresses #empoweringwomenthroughdress #thefutureisfemale
Hey YEG! Don't miss out on @thewardrobeexchangeyeg Hey YEG!
Don't miss out on @thewardrobeexchangeyeg this weekend. Thrifting at its finest for all your back to school needs! 
Mad love for women power, sustainable fashion, and #localgood.
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In support of @goodwill_ab show up this Saturday, September 14th 10am -  4pm at Epcor Tower in Edmonton. Check out their page for more details on their vendors, and stay tuned for other events! 📸cred: @sherdeers
Students, teachers, parents, WELCOME BACK TO SCHOO Students, teachers, parents, WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!
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While the edges of summer days cling to our hearts, we wish everyone headed back into the classroom a wonderful year ahead! May this season bring with it a renewed sense of motivation. •
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Education is a RIGHT! Women have historically been denied access to education, and this continues to be a battle fought by many around the globe today. Whether you a fresh into high school, finishing up a master's degree, or going on to your 45th year of teaching, know that you are part of a beautiful legacy of women, participating in the pursuit of knowledge! May you know your power, may all women know their power.
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📸cred: used with permission from @unsplash
C A N A D A D A Y! Celebrating today by taking a C A N A D A  D A Y!
Celebrating today by taking a look back at some of the red dresses that were worn in June.
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The red dress has become a symbol, representing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, from across our nation. From the National Museum of Human Rights, in Winnipeg, to individual designers, people are crying out for no more stolen sisters! •
We have come a long way as a country... we have much further to go.
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#mmiwg #nomorestolensisters #thereddressproject #canadaday #junedresses #empoweringwomenthroughdress #womenempowerwomen
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  • Kelsey WhiteKelsey WhitePerennial June Dresses Participant

    June Dresses has become a community that supports women doing whatever they want, whatever they can dream of. And it doesn't matter what you look like or how you dress... it's what you're capable of.

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