11 months ago
25
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A recently opened Fresno thrift store is the instauration of a non-profit designed to assistance the radical who assistance the public. Resuscitated Marketplace and Thrift Boutique supports the Paramedic Resilience Society, which supports existent and erstwhile paramedics and EMTs who look unforeseen fiscal challenges.
"The thought was to beryllium capable to supply for those archetypal responders successful the backstage sector, the paramedics and EMTs," said laminitis Kimberly D'Amico.
Since opening successful August, D'Amico's thrift store astatine the Bullard and Marks Shopping Center (3087 W. Bullard Avenue) has worked with much than a twelve vendors to rise funds for archetypal responders successful the backstage sector.
As a erstwhile EMT of 34 years, D'Amico says she understands the conflict of being a archetypal responder, particularly successful the backstage sector.
"When I archetypal started, I was 19," D'Amico said. "About that clip I recovered myself successful a concern wherever I didn't person a spot to live."
According to D'Amico, the bulk of her shifts were 24 hours with a two-hour commute. At the extremity of astir of her days, she had conscionable capable wealth for gas.
"I started seeing that the providers successful the backstage assemblage of the EMS system, which is the bulk of the ambulance transport successful Central California, had a deficiency of nationalist support."
According to D'Amico, archetypal responders successful the backstage assemblage are tied to backstage companies (such arsenic American Ambulance of Visalia, the Sequoia Safety Council, oregon Life Star Ambulance successful Tulare).
"We're not responding to different emergencies mostly extracurricular of a aesculapian emergency," D'Amico said. "With the backstage sector, you don't get the aforesaid benefits that constabulary and occurrence get. So our resources are limited."
Throughout her agelong career, D'Amico struggled with PTSD. When she near the industry, she recovered she nary longer had thing to distract her from her symptoms.
"I deliberation our coping mechanisms arsenic archetypal responders is if we support going, conscionable support pushing, we don't person to sojourn the traumas that we unrecorded with," D'Amico said. "It took maine into a precise acheronian constituent successful my life."
D'Amico says connected immoderate days she struggled to get retired of furniture and thrust her kids to and from schoolhouse until she recovered the Bridge Back Project and underwent unit constituent therapy.
"When I had my archetypal treatment, I retrieve I got up successful the greeting and I looked extracurricular and I said, It's a beauteous time outside," D'Amico said. "I hadn't uttered those words successful I don't cognize however long."
With a newfound lease connected life, D'Amico acceptable retired to rise consciousness and funds for archetypal responders successful the backstage assemblage done her nonprofit, the Paramedic Resilience Society.
She partnered with Laura McAtee to unfastened the Resuscitated Marketplace and partnered with dozens of like-minded section vendors.
"They're each large radical and connection large treasures," D'Amico said.
The extremity of the thrift store is to enactment the Paramedic Resilience Society, and the wealth raised volition spell to supporting existent and erstwhile paramedics.
"If I tin assistance wage a inferior measure oregon thing - to assistance them retired successful my small way," said Kimberly D'Amico. "To convey them for their years of work and besides the services that they supply to the community...we privation to amusement you that you're valued and that we admit everything that you sacrificed to bash this job."
