Today, for the 13th day of the "Women's History Month" project celebration, I am reposting the story of this Beautiful and Exceptional woman
Erin Poore Dupee, wife, mother of 2, volunteer, an amazing Special Ed Teacher...
"You can’t always have a good day, but you can always face a bad day with a good attitude."
Erin graduated from Scarborough High School in 1992. She went on to the University of Southern Maine and received an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts in 1995. In 1997 she received an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education from Southern Maine Community College.
On October 15, 1994, Erin reconnected with her junior high school crush and now husband, Eric Dupee. It truly was love at first sight. Only 2 short months after they started dating, Erin experienced a traumatic event. On December 19, 1994, she was raped at gunpoint by someone she went to her senior prom with, someone she marched with at graduation, someone she thought was her friend. Instead of letting this heinous act destroy her, Erin decided to use it to help others. She ached to turn this horrific experience into something positive.
Erin spoke in front of 80 emergency room doctors at Maine Medical Center. She helped the doctors understand what emotions and feelings sexual assault victims experience while having the rape kit test administered. SARSM (Sexual Assault Response Service of Maine) along with Kim Block from WGME Newscenter 13, Erin and two other victims of sexual assault made a video titled, “Help, Hope and Healing”. The focus was to spread awareness and understanding to local college students, medical students, therapists, doctors, nurses, and police officers. Erin also took a self-defense class and continues to see a therapist to this day. Erin feels she was beyond fortunate to have had a community that embraced her, amazing friends, the most supportive parents, two older brothers and boyfriend a woman could hope for. She doesn’t want to know where she would be today without them.
While attending college Erin worked at an in-home daycare in Scarborough. There she began a one to one position working with a two-year-old child who is totally blind named Jacob. Upon graduation, Erin became a nanny for him, as well as his two siblings in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. When Jacob turned four years old, she was hired by the state as his one to one support at the Little Horizons Nursery School.
Erin completed an independently taught Braille course which was mentored by a Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired. This skill allowed her to emboss, read and teach Braille to Jacob. She translated each assigned print material to Braille as well as supported him in his classes at the Old Orchard Beach School department for 14 years.
When Jacob entered elementary school he would always tell her that his wish was to be in the marching band. For years she thought about how she could help make his wish come true. When he was in middle school, Erin had an idea to use a long piece of PVC pipe. With the help of the janitor, she attached 3 bungee cords to the pipe. Two students who were sighted volunteered to hook up to each end, while the student who was blind was in the middle. The students on each end were his guides. His dream became a reality.
To say she didn’t form an amazing relationship with Jacob as well as his family, would be an understatement. Erin and Eric asked Jacob and both sisters to be a part of their wedding. His older sister, Paige passed out programs at the church, his younger sister, Kayley was the flower girl and Jacob was the ring bearer.
In July 26, 2003 Erin and Eric were blessed with their firstborn son, Garrett Edward. They never knew there could be a love as strong as the love they had for Garrett. They were proven otherwise on October 27, 2008, when their family welcomed another healthy baby boy, Caleb Mahlon. Erin’s boys are her priority. They mean the world to her and Eric. Eric and Erin do their best on a daily basis to be parents who are present and involved which allows them to teach, guide and support both boys.
Erin continues her work as a Special Education Educational Technician in the Life Skills classroom at Old Orchard Beach High School. She feels beyond fortunate to work with such an amazing teaching partner and friend, Catherine Wood. Together, they help students with special needs learn skills they need to apply to their future. Erin enjoys taking her students into the community such as to the grocery store, nursing home, job tours and restaurants, all while practicing expected behavior and social skills.
This year, Erin helped her students create a Student Supply Closet that is available to any student. The community donated money, gift cards, and had food drives to stock the closet. The closet contains pantry items, snacks, school supplies, warm clothes and more. Recently, some of her students bravely presented the project at the school board meeting. Erin is intensely passionate about her job and each and every one of her students have a piece of her heart.
Erin was the co-chair of the Bash for Beamis volunteer committee. This was a fundraiser that raises money for the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital diabetes fund. The event was in honor of her friend who passed away at the young age of 36 due to complications from Type 1 diabetes. Since the event started in 2014, over $100,000 was donated to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital. Erin also volunteers yearly at the Ride for Autism which was created in honor of her nephew with autism. This event has donated over $200,000 to the Autism Society of Maine.
During her free time, Erin enjoys their beautiful camp on Little Sebago Lake where they swim with their lake family, boat, tube, fish, snowmobile, ice skate, and ice fish. Her favorite times are the lake watching the breathtaking sunrise, then sitting on the deck with her lake friends early in the morning with a cup of coffee. She also enjoys taking walks on the beach, gardening, yoga, hiking, traveling and dining at a variety of restaurants.
Here is another one of Erin's favorite's quotes:
If you focus on the hurt, you will continue to suffer. If you focus on the lesson, you will continue to grow.
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Thank you, Erin, for sharing your story and inspiring others!
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Click on the video links below to learn more about Erin's work. If possible like and share the videos to help to educate others!!
Help, Hope & Healing
This video shows victims of sexual assault that there is help, there is hope and healing will happen.
Marching toward the future
You can't be around Jacob Allen long without smiling. He's upbeat, he's eager to help. He's also blind – born with a condition called bilateral anophthalmia – born without eyes.
The little school with the big heart
Two students with disabilities thrive in the Old Orchard Beach school system. High School principal Rick Difusco says students start talking about kindness and acceptance in kindergarten. And those messages seem to stick.
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