NMSU Foundation partners with Bosque Brewing Company for suicide awareness programs
The New Mexico State University Foundation has partnered with Bosque Brewing Company and the Spacelion for Life Fund to continue to bring suicide awareness programs to the Las Cruces community.
The Spacelion for Life Fund was established in celebration of the life of James “Spacelion” Nevarez, a Bosque employee who died in February 2018.
Bosque and Spacelion for Life presented checks to the NMSU Foundation for $5,300 July 20. The funds will be used to support suicide prevention and outreach programs provided by the NMSU Health and Wellness.
“We are grateful to Bosque Brewing Co., for its support of our health and wellness programs,” said Tina Byford, interim vice president of University Advancement. “We appreciate our alumni business owners like Kevin Jameson and Gabe Jensen, and because of them, we can offer trainings to help our NMSU community learn life-saving tools for those in need.”
One example is the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training led by NMSU Program Specialist Meg Long and Health Education Specialist Tiffany Tyson.
ASIST is a two-day face-to-face workshop featuring audiovisuals, discussions and simulations. At the workshop, participants learn how to recognize possible signs of suicide, provide a skilled intervention and develop a safety plan to help keep someone alive.
“I am very grateful to Bosque and encouraged by their commitment to suicide prevention and intervention here in Las Cruces,” Long said. “Sadly, New Mexico is ranked fourth in the nation for suicides per the American Association of Suicidology. The Spacelion for Life Fund will allow us to continue our efforts to reduce that ranking.”
Long and Tyson facilitate the course in order to ensure participant’s comfort and safety.
“ASIST has made a significant difference in my life, giving me confidence to be able to help someone who is having thoughts of suicide,” said Tyson. “I look forward to the work that Meg and I, as well as all others in suicide prevention, can do to make not only Las Cruces, but New Mexico a suicide safer community.”
Bosque recently released its second annual Spacelion IPA in honor of Nevarez. One dollar of every pint purchased and 100 percent of Spacelion merchandise proceeds are donated to Spacelion for Life, directly aiding programs like ASIST.
The next ASIST training at NMSU will take place Thursday, Jan. 9, and Friday, Jan. 10. For more information about ASIST or to register for the training visit https://wave.nmsu.edu/suicide-prevention/.
For more information about Nevarez, the inspiration for the Spacelion for Life Fund, visit https://www.bosquebrewing.com/blog/spacelion-for-life.
