Apparently, Erin Moore-Dempsey has been told she was like “a mix between an older friend and a cool mom.”
And that is music to the ears of the Richmond firefighter and serial Burn Camp volunteer, who said the reward of helping young burn survivors for the last 10 years continues to feed her soul on a daily basis.
The aforementioned compliment for Moore-Dempsey came from a Burn Camp survivor who’s now a young adult, one of several that she keeps in close contact with, even when they stop attending the program, which is supported by the Hometown Heroes Lottery.
“It’s very rewarding and we always say as counsellors, we almost get more out of it than they do,” said Moore-Dempsey, who is stationed at the Steveston Firehall, of the various Burn Camp recovery programs and camps for young kids up to adults.
“It’s such a joy to see (the survivors) be free for a week, with nobody staring at them and everyone bending over backwards to make sure they have a great time.”
Moore-Dempsey said she has about half a dozen or so consistent one-to-one relationships with survivors from the various Burn Camp programs she volunteers with.
“Some are now adults, off to university or college or working. I still hear from them. It gives me such a sense of pride of playing even a small part of their success,” she added.
Moore-Dempsey said she was drawn to the Burn Camp programs for a few reasons, not least because she witnessed, as a teenager, a close friend getting badly burned in a campfire accident.
“Someone threw some gasoline on the fire and it flared up. We didn’t have the same resources as they do now for burn survivors, so this has always kind of piqued my interest,” she said.
“But I’ve also been (volunteering) for so long because the longer you get involved with the Burn Camp, the more you connect with the survivors and the other counsellors and you get deeper and deeper.
“It’s truly like another family. And I feel like it’s important for them to have a positive role model they can come to. Continuity is also so important, for some more than others.
“It’s almost like your own kids. You watch them grow up.”
Moore-Dempsey said she can’t thank the support of the Hometown Heroes Lottery enough, especially during the pandemic when fundraising has been so difficult for many charities.
The lottery’s latest grand prize draw is getting close to selling out. Get your tickets at https://heroeslottery.com.
