The community of Questa united to share in their grief and suffering as they coped with the sudden passing of Questa Fire Department member Josiah Mandonado on December 7. Mandonado was a firefighter and was described by many as cheerful and full of life. He loved riding his Harley and his horses.

Mayor John Ortega ordered flags to be flown at half staff until December 14. A release from the Village read, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Mandonado family, all first responders and all who have been touched by Josiah. We appreciate Josiah’s commitment and devotion to the Village of Questa and our surrounding communities.”

On Sunday, December 15, hundreds of people gathered in Perovich Park for a prayer vigil to honor Mandonado. The vigil was led by Living Word Ministries pastors Peter and Gayle Martinez. Freedom Church pastor Kristi Gonzales also offered support to attendees.

Oftentimes, it’s difficult to seek support when we’re struggling with mental health issues. According to researchers at Yale University, one of the most effective ways to reduce the stigma around mental health is to talk about our emotional well-being.

Grief, sadness, hurt, anger, confusion, devastation, hopelessness are all normal and healthy emotions every human experiences. Knowing we do not have to cope with them alone is vital and essential.
If you or someone you know needs support, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. 988 connects you with a trained crisis counselor who can help.

New Mexico also offers free mental health support through the NM Connect App.