Foundation Helps Safeguard First Responders’ Mental Well-Being

By Misty Cryer

Hearts for Heroes, a fundraising event hosted by The Sodality Foundation, will take place at The Valley Venue in Carlsbad on July 18. The event will feature dinner by Smokin’ Kays BBQ, live music by Fabian Romero, a cash bar by Milton’s Brewery, dancing, auctions, and raffles, all in support of a cause that truly matters.

“We are a young foundation,” said Ashly Key, Founder and President of the Board for The Sodality Foundation, explaining that the non-profit organization has been established for about a year and a half with a mission to provide funding for mental health initiatives for first responders and departments.

“We want to make sure that money is not the reason that first responders don’t have access to the support they need,” said Key.

The organization is volunteer-led, with no employees, and has an amazing Board of Directors, said Key. “We all have the common goal of building strong community partners and keeping the mental health of our first responders at the forefront,” she said.

About a year ago, Key said, Eddy County Fire Chief Josh Mack reached out to The Sodality Foundation about the PowerLine App he had gotten for his department. She explained that the app is a confidential, 24/7 mental health and wellness platform that is built specifically for first responders.

“He felt that it is something that would be important for first responders in Eddy and Lea counties to receive access to this app,” she said.

After reviewing the app and seeing what was available, Key said the board decided it fit their mission and wanted to provide it to first responders in Eddy and Lea counties for the departments that accepted the resource. Through grants received and fundraising like this event, “We were able to provide them three years of access,” she said.

During the event, Key said they will share a bit more about the initiative and The Sodality Foundation. “We also have a retired Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Officer who is part of our board. He will do a little bit of speaking about what first responders go through and the importance of supporting first responders,” she said.

At press time, Key said there were 11 tables available for the Hearts for Heroes event. Tickets are $75 per person or $450 for a table of 6 and are available online (https://www.thesodalityfoundation.com/events).

While the foundation is fairly new, Key became inspired to help support first responders about seven years ago. She said her brother was a police officer in Idaho.

“Over the years, I watched him navigate being a police officer, and the situations that they get into, and the things that they see and are part of,” said Key. “In his small town, there was a lack of resources and support,” she said.

Living in Carlsbad at the time, Key said she wondered whether local first responders were also facing a lack of resources or the ability to receive the support they need. She said she was honored to meet with Rick Lopez, who was the Chief of the Carlsbad Fire Department at the time.

“A small group of people and I found out that they were trying to build a critical