By Kyle Coppola
Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Welcomes New Chaplain
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office proudly welcomed Chaplain Richey as the department’s new volunteer chaplain during a two-day specialized training event focused on resilience, recovery, and readiness in the face of trauma.
Over the course of the training, every member of the Sheriff’s Office including deputies, correctional officers, and dispatchers participated in sessions designed to strengthen their emotional, mental, and physiological responses to critical incidents. This transformative opportunity was made possible through grant funding, which also covered overtime expenses, ensuring no cost to the county’s local budget.
(Chaplain Richey talks to the group of Sumter County Law Enforcement Officers.)
Chaplain Richey shared one of his favorite bible verses which was John 15:13. It says “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This verse emphasizes that the ultimate act of love is sacrificing oneself for the well-being of others. It highlights Jesus’s example of laying down his life for humanity, who are considered his friends in this context. Ultimately our men and women in uniform take on those same duties.
Led in partnership with nationally renowned speaker Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, the program tackled essential topics such as compassion fatigue, the long-term effects of violence on the body and mind, and the vital importance of empathy and community connection both during and after traumatic events.
The training also featured Rick Serra of Signature Financial Solutions, who offered crucial financial guidance on subjects ranging from retirement planning and insurance to wills and trusts equipping participants with tools for long-term personal security.
A highlight of the event was the introduction of Chaplain Richey, who joins the Sheriff’s Office as a compassionate spiritual leader and support figure. As a volunteer chaplain, Richey will serve a critical role during crises, providing emotional and spiritual care not only to staff but also to their families during challenging times.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
