Erin
“We have no idea what other people might be going through, regardless of how they present themselves or look on the outside. It’s really important to maintain compassion and understanding at the heart of everything that we do.”
Meet Erin, a passionate advocate for social justice and my colleague at The KidSafe Project Society, a Vancouver-based non-profit. Committed to empowering vulnerable populations, Erin plans and implements enriching programs for over 800 referred children each year, providing them access to life-changing opportunities. Her impact doesn't stop there—Erin leverages her personal platforms and network to raise awareness about societal inequities and inspire others to take action. With her warm and fun-loving nature, she effortlessly spreads compassion wherever she goes, making friends at every corner. This is her story.
P: Introduce yourself!
E: My name is Erin Bodin, and I try to have as much fun as possible at all times. For work, I work as the Manager of Programs for the KidSafe Project Society, a local nonprofit in Vancouver.
P: What do you do in your job?
E: I get to be the captain of fun. During our break-time programs, I figure out what out trips the kids are going on, what facilitators are coming to site to deliver workshops, what is going to happen on-site, and what resources and physical supplies are needed. I help prepare the on-site seasonal staff to be able to program plan, deliver, and ensure the safety of our programs.
P: Why is this work important?
E: I think it's really important to maintain a sense of playfulness, imagination, and fun in everything that we do. I love working with kids because I get to do those things, but I also get to inspire those things in adults as well. That carries into my personal life too.
I also think it's really important that the children that we serve, who are undergoing difficult situations or hardships in life, get to be kids and have a good time.
Providing these opportunities through KidSafe means that children, who may not have access to such experiences otherwise, get to have a fun, exciting, and silly time, regardless of their home circumstances.
P: What would you say to someone who might be unfamiliar with your work, or unfamiliar with the non-profit sector in Vancouver?
E: Vancouver is a city of enormous disparity. There are people who are incredibly wealthy and people who are living quite far below the poverty line. I would just say that really important things to keep in mind are community care, love, and compassion. We have no idea what other people might be going through, regardless of how they present themselves or look on the outside. It's really important to maintain compassion and understanding at the heart of everything that we do.
It also important to remember that nonprofits exist because the government is not able to do everything and take care of everyone, which can be really frustrating, and a challenging problem. So it's important to be supporting nonprofits and grassroots organizations, and the people who are are doing really hard work on the ground that is not able to be done by the governments that are serving us right now.
P: Is there one story or experience that has shaped who you are today?
E: In recent years, especially throughout the pandemic when I came to work at KidSafe, it was eye opening to hear the stories from the children and families we were supporting during that time.
One notable one was from a single mom who had two kids. Every day she would ask if her children could come to KidSafe. She would tell us that she was going to lose her job if she didn’t have anywhere for her kids to go, that she had used up all her sick days, and had no idea what she was going to do. At this time, we were limited in our spaces due to social distancing. While we were able to support her with take-home groceries, we didn’t have space for her kids in the program, because the demand was just too high. This was only one of the many stories we heard.
It is just really difficult to raise children in a city where the odds are stacked against you, and then you had the pandemic on top of everything.
I feel lucky and fortunate that I don’t have any dependents, and am able to live the life I want to live. But this experience also gave me a lot of perspective into how different people’s lives are, right from the way they’re raised to their day to day experiences. It’s a good reminder that we don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives, and we don’t understand what difficulties they might be facing.
You have to have love and compassion and understanding. Think about how you can make somebody’s life a little better, or day a little easier in these simple ways. This understanding always brings me back.
P: If someone is feeling helpless and unsure of how they can make a difference, what words of encouragement or advice would you offer them?
E: I would tell them not to stress out about it. There are so many little things you can do, even just sharing stories on social media, or having conversation with your friends so that they too can become more mindful of what’s going on.
But also if you're feeling a bit powerless, mutual aid is a really good place to start. There are a lot of folks who will repost calls for mutual aid on social media. How it works is that a vulnerable person might need some support from their community to pay the rent, buy groceries, or just to get through the next little bit while they get on their feet. This is an immediate, direct way you can help a person be okay and feel better. Sending somebody $10 could have a direct impact, it could be the difference of them being able to pay their rent.
Also, look for the grassroots organizations in your community. Even if you can't give money, you can give your time, spread the word, and share information.
Even if those things even feel too far out of reach, walk around and make eye contact with folks. Seeing and recognizing them as human beings goes a long way. Giving someone your extra muffin from the coffeeshop or granola bars out of your car window when they're panhandling, these little things make a difference and can lead to big changes.
P: What is one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?
E: I'm so emotional. I might really tear up on this one.
I think just like, you're so freaking cool.
Don't worry about any insecurities. Your forehead isn't too big. Your feet aren't too big. You're not too tall. You are totally, completely fine.
Who cares if anyone's making fun of you? You don't, you're not even aware of it. Your head is in the clouds. You are okay, and just know that all your weird, interesting interests, and insane quirky moments with your friends are all just going to culminate in making you like the weirdest, coolest person.
So, don't even worry about anything. You're fine…and you have the best family.
P: What does being a woman mean to you?
E: Whatever feels right.
Like, who cares what you're wearing? It may be something more masculine, more comfortable, or more feminine. Just listen to yourself and do what feels comfortable for your own body. Being a woman to me is just being really content with yourself. And not just with what you look like, but with your own company and living your life through your eyes.
It’s a combination of your experiences and the people you’ve met along the way. So just sit in that and be really happy to be where you are, who you are, and however you feel. That's what being a woman is - if you identify as a woman - it’s whatever feels right. That's the beauty of it.
More on KidSafe
KidSafe is small charity who, for nearly 30 years, has been filling the critical gap that exists in care when schools are closed. They provide cost-free break-time and after-school programming to over 800 children annually. During their programs, children have access to safety, food security, educational programming, and trauma-informed care. All children who attend KidSafe are referred by a third party, as they are in serious need of a safe space to be when school is not in session.
Erin is just one member of KidSafe’s incredible staff team who we will have the pleasure of interviewing! Until then, check out www.kidsafe.ca to learn more about how you can get involved.