Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Travers.
Hi Ashley, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a former police wife and as someone who still has many friends in law enforcement, it has always been a passion of mine to help our heroes. Whether it be through events, fundraisers, or just dropping off food at the local departments helping Law Enforcement families meant the world to me because I wanted to be what I needed someone to be for us back when my husband was a policeman. As we saw the climate shifting and began to watch some of these blue-line families hit rock bottom, my husband and I decided to take our actions to the next level and start a foundation. Saint Louis is blessed to have another 501c3 called BACKSTOPPERS. This charity assists families of severely injured or officers killed in the line of duty. What we wanted to do was begin to fill the gaps for the Officers and their families who weren’t killed or severely injured yet needed assistance with just making life less stressful. Saint Michael’s Army was born, and so far, it has been such a blessing to so many.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We selected the name Saint Michael’s Army because we wanted to be a line of protection and a voice for blue-line families. “The Army who protects them and supports them.” When we created this mission, we instantly had a massive group wanting to help, and it was beautiful to see but also very rare. Somewhere along the lines, supporting our police, those who work tirelessly to keep us safe, had become something not to speak of; a dangerous political line was drawn in the sand, and our heroes felt that shift. It had been challenging for many of them to continue doing the job they loved because their support system lacked so much after the last few years. We challenged our community to be their voices and to bring that support back. Although it took a bit of work, and we still have a ways to go, I feel we have been able to do a lot of this, which has been a fantastic accomplishment! Little by little, we are reminding our communities why supporting these men and women is imperative. Without them, our cities would be much different, so raising awareness is a part of our mission statement.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our mission statement is as follows:
“Saint Michael’s Army, Inc is committed to serving those who serve us. Together we will advocate, support, and financially assist as many Law Enforcement families as possible in regard to all aspects of their demanding schedules. We will create realistic avenues that alleviate the everyday stressors for the average Blue Line family, working towards the betterment of both the mental and financial health of our police officers. We will work to support our officers and remove the grey areas on behalf of the THIN BLUE LINE.”
We assist with grants for officers and mental health services, and we are a resource for anything they may need to remain as stress-free as possible. This is so they can perform better and with a clearer sense of security while they are in uniform at work. We have helped with many different needs, with over 30 families in our first year alone. It has truly been impactful to be able to do what we do.
What sets us apart is that our Board of Directors is made up of mostly all local law enforcement or family members of law enforcement. None of our Board of Directors are paid anything for the work they do regarding SMA, including myself, the President and my husband Bryan, the VP.
This group of individuals truly wants to help change the climate for these brave men and women, and they volunteer their time and resources as much as possible to help us to be able to do that. It is refreshing to see; my husband and I are so grateful to those who assist with this organization. We are all working so hard to change lives, and slowly but surely, we are doing just that.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My husband is one person who deserves the credit he’s not given much. Bryan was a police officer for ten years, and honestly, the entire reason behind building this started with him and our own story. Loving a police officer is hard. They don’t sign up for the pay or the hours. They sign up because they want to help. They’re built differently. When I was a young cop wife with two small babies, I watched my husband, who was exhausted daily, do everything he could to help me when he was home. Police Officers primarily work 12-hour days and typically shift from days to nights monthly or bimonthly. This change in sleep patterns is extremely hard for them and piled on top of some of the horrible things they see at work, along with the traditional struggles of home life. It’s a recipe for disaster regarding emotional and mental health.
Fortunately, my husband was able to resign when the PTSD started showing, but so many families can’t do what we were able to do, and it breaks my heart knowing how many need help and has nowhere to get it. I remember thinking about how something so simple could have truly helped us back then with encouragement, some help with meals, someone paying off a credit card that was stressing us out, or causing him to work secondary. There was nothing tho, so when I created this concept, he was the one who inspired it. I’m forever grateful for the life we lived as a Police Family. This bond is one that most will never understand, and I consider my relationships with other blue-line families to be a blessing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saintmichaelsarmystl.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STLSOLDIERS
