Category: Featured

Featured posts

  • Christmas Memories: Christmas in Illinois

    Christmas Memories: Christmas in Illinois

    By Gueary Clendening

    Many years ago, My wife, Linda and I lived in Illinois. Memories of driving to southern Illinois to spend Christmas with her family are truly cherished memories! On one particular Christmas, we left on Christmas eve driving down on Interstate 57. We were traveling at night and had the car radio tuned to KMOX, a St. Louis, Missouri, station. During Christmas Eve, the station would visit several area churches and broadcast their Christmas Eve services live. The drive of 210 miles, in the snow, to Southern Illinois, was so much fun- as we listened to Christmas Choirs celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

    Baytowne Santa 1Linda’s parents lived on the outskirts of a small town. It didn’t matter if it was Christmas or another time, Linda’s Dad would often be sitting at a window watching for our arrival. I would blow the car horn and blink the lights as we drove into their yard. At these gatherings, it was so refreshing. The girls would be in the kitchen, preparing the Christmas dinner. The aroma of the food cooking and the chatter coming from the kitchen was just the right environment for me to lay down on the sofa and take a nap.

    Linda’s Dad always kept a small Pony for the grandchildren. There wasn’t much riding, but regardless of how cold it was, he always wanted a picture of the children on the Pony!

    I’m sure you can imagine what dinner was like. And then came dessert time! For Linda, it was a German Chocolate cake with double icing. For my Brother in Law, Earl, it was a Chocolate pie, and I got a Coconut pie. All were homemade by Linda’s Mother.

    A I reminisce those days, there was something special that would always happen! Before opening gifts, we would read the Christmas story of the birth of Christ and offer a prayer of thanksgiving for God sending His son. But something else would happen at the dinner table. We all knew this would occur, we just didn;t know when. Linda’s Dad would begin to speak these words, “I am the happiest and richest man in the world, I have all of my family together.”

    There would always be tears that followed. His words mean more to me now as time passes. Several sitting at that table have passed into eternity, and I look forward to the day of finally being reunited with them forever!

    His words remind me of God’s greatest desire for us. It’s found in Ephesians 1:9-10: “God’s secret plan has now been revealed to us, it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago, according to His good pleasure. And this is the plan: at the right time, He will bring everything together, both in Heaven and on Earth.” God’s ultimate plan is to have all His family home with Him forever!

    I trust you are planning to be there! According to John 14:6, Jesus is the way to His Father. We soon will be celebrating the birth of Christ. If you are not a part of God’s family, this would be a wonderful time to reserve your place at God’s dinner table! (Read John 1;12 and Romans 10:12-13. See you at the table, Merry Christmas!

    Views: 5

  • Walton County Cuts Ribbon on New Regional Beach Access

    Walton County Cuts Ribbon on New Regional Beach Access

    On the morning of October 13, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners, alongside the Walton County Beach Operations and Tourism Departments, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Scenic Gulf Drive Regional Beach Access.

    “There is a lot of hard work that goes into completing something like this, and to see it come to fruition is a great feeling,” Tourism Director Matt Algarin said. “Anytime we can open a new beach access and provide the opportunity for our residents and visitors to enjoy the sugar white sands is a good day. The beach is a gathering place. It is where people can come to make lifelong memories.”

    New Regional Beach Access
    Mike Barker, Chairman of the Walton County Board of County Commissioners, cuts the ribbon for the new Scenic Gulf Drive Regional Beach Access in Miramar Beach, FL on October 13, 2022 as representatives from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Tourism Department look on.

    The project first gained traction in 2017 when the county purchased the 2.1-acre property for $5.75 million. Additional project costs, such as permitting and construction, were estimated at $3.4 million, for a total cost of $9.15 million. All expenses related to the project were covered using the tourist development tax, a 5-percent tax collected on short-term rentals.

    “It is not just for the tourist, but for everyone that lives in Walton County who wants to come to our beaches and enjoy them,” Brian Kellenberger, director of beach operations said.

    Located at 907 Scenic Gulf Drive in Miramar Beach, this new beach access boasts 400 feet of sugar-white sand along the Gulf of Mexico. It showcases a coastal cottage design, mirroring the county’s other beach accesses. It features 18 vehicle parking spaces, nine golf cart parking spaces, bike parking, a large deck plaza, a 360-foot ADA-accessible boardwalk/dune walkover, restroom facilities, and a picnic pavilion with dune walkover.

    “We are proud to offer this to the public. It is a great facility and a great amenity to have,” Walton County Commissioner Michael Barker said.

    Opening the Scenic Gulf Drive access brings the total number of regional beach accesses in Walton County to 10. Work is also underway on two additional regional beach accesses, Seagrove Beach RBA in the heart of Seagrove Beach and Walton Dunes RBA in the Eastern Lake community.

    420x

    Each regional beach access point includes parking, restroom facilities, beach flag condition information, and a seasonally tended lifeguard station.

    To learn more about Walton County and its beach accesses, visit www.visitsouthwalton.com.

    Views: 0

  • You Can Be a Hometown Hero for Those in Need

    You Can Be a Hometown Hero for Those in Need

    By Lori Leath Smith

    Are you looking for ways to help our community? As always during the holiday season, there is an ongoing need for giving. Many children don’t have enough food to eat over a weekend, much less over Thanksgiving, and have to return to school hungry. Some don’t even have beds. Many homeless veterans go without a warm meal all year long. Walton County has a food insecurity rate of 14.1 percent among children younger than 18. In Okaloosa County, it is 13.6 percent (source: Feeding America). There are families in our area who are struggling to get by. They can be blessed by an extra boost this holiday season. Fortunately, we live in a compassionate community that pulls together for its own. We have some amazing organizations ready to give this Thanksgiving and you can help them help others.

    Caring and Sharing of South Walton will provide holiday food items to local families from Nov. 14-16, the week before Thanksgiving. Families are asked to pre-register by filling out an eligibility form to qualify them for assistance. They must live in Walton County. Families will receive items for a traditional holiday meal and Caring and Sharing’s regular pantry food items. Caring and Sharing is expecting close to 500 families to pick up meals. It is looking for volunteers to help pack Thanksgiving bags and to hand out food the week of pickup. If you’re interested in donating or volunteering, contact them at (850) 267-2866 or email carly@caringandsharingsowal.org for more information.

    A Bed 4 MeHave you ever had to sleep without a bed? Put some sparkle into a child’s holiday this year. A Bed 4 Me invites you to help provide beds for children in Walton and Okaloosa counties this season. Five dollars buys a pillow; $50 buys bedding; $125 buys a bed and $250 sponsors a full bed kit and helps with operational expenses. A Bed 4 Me has provided beds to 2,000 children in our community since 2016, but is always in need of our support. To help, visit abed4me.org where you can donate in any amount.

    Fftthanksgiving1Food For Thought (FFT) provides five year-round programs to bridge the meal gap in the lives of the food-insecure children they serve, but it’s especially needed during the holidays. Last year, our communities gave more than $20,000 to support FFT holiday services! FFT served more than 3,200 children, distributed more than 33,000 food items and was supported by 250 volunteer hours just for Thanksgiving alone. Families supported by Food for Thought programs across Walton and Okaloosa counties will be provided food to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal along with food to support their students’ needs while they are out of school for a week, which is about 10 meals they will miss. To enroll, email support@fftfl.org. To volunteer or donate, please visit www.fftfl.org. You can also sponsor a family at Thanksgiving.

    Dwc 1Destiny Worship Center is providing Thanksgiving meals for families in need. You can help by picking up a Thanksgiving bag from Oct. 22 (Saturday) – Nov. 19 (Saturday). Purchase and fill the bag with the list of items on the bag and drop off at the Destiny Campus NO LATER THAN Nov. 13. Thanksgiving bag assembly day is Tuesday, Nov. 15, 9 a.m. in the sanctuary. Consider joining on Saturday, Nov. 19 to deliver to families in our area. Please sign up in the foyer.

    Views: 0

  • 27th Annual MKAF Festival of the Arts Celebrates Art, Music, Food and Fun Oct. 29 & 30

    27th Annual MKAF Festival of the Arts Celebrates Art, Music, Food and Fun Oct. 29 & 30

    By Zandra Wolfgram

    How do you frame up a festive, fall weekend on the Emerald Coast? Come take part in Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation’s 27th annual Festival of the Arts.

    27th Annual MKAF Festival of the Arts Celebrates Art, Music, Food and Fun Oct. 29 & 30With dozens of artists taking part, this year’s free event, set for Saturday, Oct. 29 and Sunday, Oct. 30 at the scenic MKAF Cultural Arts Village in Destin, again promises to be a true celebration of art, music, food and fun.

    One of the Southeast’s premier art festivals, the two-day signature event features exhibits of more than 100 artists venturing from 17 states showcasing a diverse palette of artistic styles in a range of different art mediums from oil, watercolor and glass art paintings to clay pottery, ceramics, metal sculpture, mixed media, jewelry art and much more.

    Art lovers of all ages can watch artists demonstrating their techniques in their tented booths, browse art from dozens of emerging new and student artists, and get hands-on in the interactive Creative Kids station and more.

    This year’s poster art features Seascape, a lushly layered coastal-inspired acrylic work of award-winning 30A artist Justin Gaffrey, South Walton 2005 artist of the year. As a professional, self-taught, artist since 2001, Gaffrey draws inspiration from nature, human nature and life experiences.

    27th Annual MKAF Festival of the Arts Celebrates Art, Music, Food and Fun Oct. 29 & 30Beyond the visual arts, the Festival will feature two days of continual live music and a sampling of the local culinary arts scene. Entertaining street performers, art-themed photo opportunities, lively art drawings and the sale of colorful keepsake souvenirs — all create a family-friendly festival feel.

    Esteemed judges will award $10,000 in artist prizes in the juried and collaborative art categories. On Saturday, Festivalgoers are invited to vote for the “People’s Choice” Artist Award by casting a ballot located at the Main Festival Entrance.

    One must-not-miss feature is the Collaborative Art Exhibit, which showcases the work of both emerging and seasoned artists competing for the McIlroy Awards.

    Six sensational local and regional musicians and bands will perform live throughout the weekend on stage at The Dugas Pavilion. The lineup includes The Wavy Winstons, Jones & Company, Tillman & Taff, Now & Then, Roman Street Trio and Casey Kearney.

    The Festival celebrates the art of dining, too. Foodies will enjoy samplings of savory cuisine and sweet bites from area restaurants and food trucks along with craft beer and cocktails in the Beer & Wine Garden. Gather with family and friends to enjoy your meal seated at tables al fresco, while taking in the scene and listening to the stellar music line up.

    Festival producer Deb Nissley guarantees there will be plenty of “new surprises” to enjoy. As for advice on how best to enjoy the Festival, she says, “Plan to spend the day and come prepared to see a lot of great art, hear great music, enjoy the outdoors and meet talented artists.”

    The Festival is open to the public and runs Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily admission is free! Proceeds from MKAF cultural events help fund ArtsReach — MKAF’s arts education community outreach programs serving K-12 students, children and adults with special needs, and the military community along the Emerald Coast.

    For more details follow MKAF on social media channels and visit MKAF.org.

    Views: 0

  • Vote for Your Favorites in the 2023 Perfect in Walton County Awards! 

    Vote for Your Favorites in the 2023 Perfect in Walton County Awards! 

    Perfect 2023 Vote

    It’s time to choose your favorites in the 2023 Perfect in Walton County Awards! The online voting period is open Monday, Sept. 26 until Friday, Oct. 21 at perfectinwaltoncounty.com.

    The top five nominees with the highest votes in 30 categories have been selected, and now it’s time for the final vote! Both residents and visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite businesses, events, and activities online at perfectinwaltoncounty.com.

    The finalists with the most votes in each category will be recognized as Diamond, Platinum or Gold winners at the Perfect in Walton County Awards presentation in January 2023. These winners will be promoted in print and online by Visit South Walton throughout the year. For a complete list of last year’s winners, please visit visitsouthwalton.com/2022-perfect-south-walton-awards.

    Voting will remain open until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21. Each person is allowed one vote per email address. For more information about the 2023 Perfect in Walton County Awards program, please contact Industry Relations Specialist Lisa Foster at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com or (850) 333-2728.

    Views: 0

  • Child Fostering: Could It Be Right for You?

    Child Fostering: Could It Be Right for You?

    By Michelle Ruschman

    Child Fostering: Could It Be Right for You?Foster parenting helps kids and enriches families. A common misunderstanding about fostering is that foster families are gatekeepers between children and biological parents. April Hight, the Foster Home Recruitment Specialist with FamiliesFirst Network for Okaloosa and Walton County, wants to clarify that a foster parent is more in the position of being a bridge between a child and their parent(s), with the ultimate goal being reunification. A foster family is part of their healing process.

    It’s important to make these distinctions, because as our community looks at the aftermath of Covid and lockdown, foster family recruiters like April are finding that a critical area that has been directly affected is the available beds for displaced children. The hope is that local families will consider becoming part of the fostering community, so the losses from 2020 are recovered. Not having beds for this vulnerable group creates additional hardship in an already difficult situation. “In our area, we have about 460 kiddos, give or take, in need of foster care every day,” said April. “Across our county, we have about 360 available beds. That’s approximately 100 children who don’t have a local bed each day.

    Child Fostering: Could It Be Right for You?When families are in need, our agency is going to call every licensed home to make sure there is a place here where we can put these children, but oftentimes, they will be sent out of our circuit which includes Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa, and Escambia counties. If we don’t have a bed in these areas, they may be sent to a different part of the state and sadly, that is pretty common. Due to the lack of beds, it’s very unlikely that they’re going to stay in their community once they are removed from the home. This means they’re not going to stay in the same school, be near the things that they know, or be anywhere that is familiar. They have to go where there’s an available bed.

    What is sad is that a lot of our kids bounce. A foster home may be full, but will take a child for a few days to give us time to find a permanent spot. At the end of those few days, just as they’re getting comfortable, they have to go to a whole new home. These kids have to say goodbye again, go to another strange place, and it’s just more loss and grief every time they have to move.”

    There are multiple reasons children are removed from their homes. But, the top two are substance abuse and neglect. When a child is moved into a home where even the community isn’t familiar, it leads to more trauma.

    April and her counterpart in Escambia and Santa Rosa county, Thomas Williams, provide education and support to potential foster families as they on-board into the foster licensing process. There are five levels of licensure in which a family can qualify: Level one is a family member, level two is the largest group with traditional foster care, and levels three to five are more specialized in physical and therapeutic needs. “To receive a license as a level two home, they need to have adequate space in their home to accommodate the children and every child must have their own bed,” said April.

    Sleeping arrangements can vary based on the age and gender of the child, but some children also come with the specific stipulation that they need their own room. If a higher level is applied for, it may require that the home has a medical bed. “The initial step in getting a license is to talk to a foster home recruiter like myself.”

    The profile of a foster family can vary. In addition to traditional families of all sizes, April has also seen great success with single parents and those who are old enough to be grandparents.

    “The ideal foster parents are those who can have empathy for biological families,” said April. “They are willing to learn about trauma and have a flexible parenting style.”

    April also stresses the importance of internal work before an individual, a couple or a family considers opening their home. “Have conversations with those who are closest to you, whether that’s your extended family, your church, people you work with or your friend group. Make sure you have adequate support, because you’re going to need a support system,” she said. “Couples have to be on the same page and both have to be fully vested. Include the children in the conversation, because they sacrifice space and time while sharing their home.”

    Once you become a foster family, there is ongoing support. In addition to a small stipend to help with the cost of the additional child(ren) in your home, a care coordination arm of FamiliesFirst Network helps navigate challenging situations while offering practical solutions. Online support, Facebook page support and Zoom calls are available for even easier access. “The best support is other foster parents and it’s a great community ready to help,” said April.

    If you’re interested in providing one of the needed beds in Okaloosa and Walton counties, or you’d like to know how your church, business or agency can support local foster families and displaced children, visit www.elakeviewcenter.org, contact April Hight at april.hight@bhcpns.org or call 850-982-5364.

    Views: 0

  • International Coastal Clean Up Slated for Sept. 17th in South Walton

    International Coastal Clean Up Slated for Sept. 17th in South Walton

    Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles, (FOSWST) in partnership with Visit South Walton, will once again host the International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 17th. Registration Opens at 8:45 with Beach Cleanup beginning at 9:00 am till 11:00 am.

    Foswst 5

    International Coastal Cleanup is a worldwide event sponsored by Ocean Conservancy; they engage countries around the globe to organize citizens from large cities to small villages in the cleanup of their oceans, gulfs, lakes and river beaches. Walton County is one of these coastal areas and has the opportunity to participate with millions across the globe to clean up the coastline and prevent debris from polluting Gulf waters.

    The Volunteer Beach Ambassador Team invites all community members and visitors to the Emerald Coast to join in their efforts “with little pomp and circumstance but rather with a heart for serving our community and our beautiful coastal environment.”  Please consider coming together to gain the sense of serving for the greater good of Walton County and the health of the marine and bird life that make the Gulf of Mexico their home.  FOSWST is asking: Will you join us?  Can we count on you?

    Foswst 4

    The “Friends” will be hosting clean ups at five Regional Beach Accesses:

    • Inlet Beach Regional Access, 139 S Orange St., Inlet
    • Santa Clara Regional Access, 3468E Co Hwy 30A, Seagrove
    • Ed Walline Regional Access, 4447 W Co Hwy 30A, Gulf Place
    • Dune Allen Regional Access, 5999 W Co Hwy 30A, Dune Allen
    • Miramar Beach Regional Access, 2375 Scenic Gulf Dr., Miramar Beach

    “We encourage and welcome local, private homeowners and condo/resort HomeOwner Associations to join us and organize a cleanup on their private properties”, Says FOSWST founder and president Beth Coppedge.

    Foswst 2

    All participants may choose to count their collected debris on the Clean Swell App, available through the App Store www.apps.apple.com/us/app/clean-swell/id985692119 or at Google Play www.play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.oceanconservancy.cleanswell

    Community Cleanup Volunteers may also sign in with a VBA host and count total time served. Or, participants may count both their debris and time. Others may simply choose to go about the task of cleaning the beach and disposing of their debris without keeping track of items or time. All participants are encouraged to provide their own trash bags or buckets, gloves, hat, sunscreen, water bottle, etc.  There will be limited bags/gloves available for those without.

    Foswst 3

    In past years, Walton County residents and visitors have turned out in large numbers to support the cleaning of our beaches and subsequently the Gulf during the International Coastal Cleanup. Each piece of debris collected is one more piece of trash saved from our ocean systems.

    Information about where ICC events occur, and the type of trash collected are communicated to the Ocean Conservancy TIDES database. This trash Information and data is used for education and local, national and worldwide actions and solutions to the ever-growing ocean trash problem.

    In 2021, 446 South Walton volunteers participated, and cleaned 35.35 miles of beach, collecting 15,825 items weighing 2,109 pounds. The Top Five (5) Items Collected were:

    1. Cigarette butts
    2. Tiny Trash (plastic pieces)
    3. Bottle caps (plastic)
    4. Food wrappers (candy, chips, etc.)
    5. Plastic beverage bottles

    We hope you join the South Walton community in their participation in the world’s largest volunteer effort on behalf of ocean health. 

    Visit www.oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas for more information.

    Foswst 1

    Views: 0

  • Emerald Coast Theatre Company: 10 Years and Counting!

    Emerald Coast Theatre Company: 10 Years and Counting!

    Ectc Anna And Nathanael FisherBy Anna and Nathanael Fisher

    In a recent interview, we were asked if reaching our ten-year milestone felt like “We did it. Mission Accomplished!” Our response was that it feels more like “Mission ongoing, mission good start, mission we’ve so much more to do.” As we look back on the very beginning of our little newborn baby theatre company, the feelings of gratitude overwhelm us. ECTC shares a birthday with our youngest daughter, as they both made their appearance in January of 2013, with quite a few months of planning prior. It was in those early days that we experienced the joy and excitement of something new, and the fulfillment of a dream long hoped for—both with our new little baby and our new little company.

    We started with 10 students in an afterschool class offered in partnership with the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation. Nathanael was working as a part time adjunct theatre professor at University of West Florida in Pensacola and Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, as well as other part time local jobs. I was working behind the scenes and caring for our six-year old twins and newborn baby girl. He would teach the after school classes on those days he was in town and we continued to work together, dreaming and planning our little company’s first wobbly steps.

    Ectc 2016 Constellations Rehearsal First Show In The New SpaceFast forward four years and we are growing, continuing to offer more and more classes and a small season of professional theatre. All of our classes and shows are offered through the kindness of local schools and retail merchants who give us the use of their empty stores. For every show and every class, we load our family car with set, props, costumes, speakers, scripts and whatever else can be crammed in, and we arrive early to set everything up. Our garage, our living room, our kitchen table is always covered with things like feather boas, a golden lamp, a tinman’s costume and maybe a basket of fake apples. We overtake Anna’s Dad’s shed across the street as our stock grows, and our neighbor next door is always kind to turn a blind eye when we paint sets in our carport and turn the side yard grass blue until the next mowing.

    Throughout this period, Grand Boulevard was especially generous to us. If they had an empty space, we were welcome to it. We produced professional shows and children’s shows in the place where Williams Sonoma is now. They hired us to produce an outdoor Summer Shakespeare in the park series which continues to this day. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our board of directors, the people who work behind the scenes without a lot of recognition. They were always there championing us and finding new and creative ways to produce theatre without a building. And then one day…

    Ectc 2016.08 Grand Blvd Location Announcement Board PictureStacey Brady, Director of Marketing at Grand Boulevard and long-time board member, called us one morning. “Can you meet me at the 560 building on property?” We thought with excitement that this may be another temporary empty space, another opportunity to run rehearsals and classes at the place that had been so supportive of us already. What we didn’t think was that she had secured a dream space for us. She brought us up to the absolutely empty concrete rectangle that is now Emerald Coast Theatre Company and with a twinkle in her eye said, “Well, do you think you can work with this?” After catching our collective breath, through smiles and tears, we responded with a resounding yes, and immediately got to work with more dreaming.

    Ectc Lifemedia S10edu Ad 6x5 A12606What Grand Boulevard has provided has catapulted us to where we are today. We have grown from the two of us volunteering and investing our time the first few years to a full-time incredible staff of eight including ourselves, Rebeca Lake-resident designer, Phillip Padgett-production and stage manager, Tara Padgett-costume and wardrobe assistant and teaching artist, and our three newest staff members Trenton Bainbridge-managing director, Emily Bainbridge-patron relations and teaching artist, and Drake Miller-technical director.

    As we celebrate Season 10 this year, we celebrate all of the hands and hearts that got us here. We recognize that the heart of ECTC is you! It’s our students, volunteers, sponsors, patrons and VIP members. It’s our vibrant Leading Ladies, our hard-working staff, our dedicated board of directors and our talented local actors as well as those performers who travel from all over the country to bless our stage. It’s our community that held us through a pandemic and became the most generous donors we could have imagined. As we prepare to produce six professional shows, three Theatre for Young Audiences shows, many educational shows and classes, a Storyteller Series and a few cabarets, we look back with gratitude and a thankful heart at all that has come before. Our little theatre company is growing up and expanding, nurtured by so many along the way. We hope that you will join us as we launch our Season 10 with a grand celebration on September 16th, and continue to celebrate with us all season long. Mission accomplished? Never.

    Nathanael and Anna Fisher
    Founders, Producing Artistic Director, Associate Artistic and Education Director

    Views: 0

  • St. Joe Foundation Expanding Aid to Walton / Bay County Non-Profits

    St. Joe Foundation Expanding Aid to Walton / Bay County Non-Profits

    By Ed Offley

    Do you have a good cause aimed at helping the Walton and Bay County communities?

    If so, April Wilkes would like to hear from you. And if your organization qualifies, she would like to provide you with the money to make your endeavor a success.

    For nearly a quarter-century, the St. Joe Community Foundation has done just that, providing more than $34 million in grants to scores of community organizations in Bay and Walton Counties. Wilkes, executive director of the foundation since 2018, says it wants to expand its roster of recipients.

    “We are always looking for great nonprofits that we haven’t helped before,” she told Life Media.

    As the largest landowner in Bay and Walton Counties, the St. Joe Company has long played – and continues to play – a major role in the development of the area. Its 50-year sector plan anchored around the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport promises to transform the Bay-South Walton region by 2045 into a community of over 350,000 people anchored around new town centers, retail centers, major employers and recreational sites.

    In addition to land donations for projects as varied as the Northwest Florida International Airport, Publix Sports Complex and major medical facilities and schools, St. Joe Company officials have long been involved in direct support of local charities, other nonprofit organizations and educational programs, Wilkes said.

    Established in 1999, the St. Joe Community Foundation is funded exclusively by a 1/2-percent transfer fee on the sale of real estate in certain communities and resorts the company has developed, Wilkes said. This fee applies the first time a property is sold, and on each resale. In recent years, the foundation has received around $2-3 million it can reassign for community grants annually, but with the spike in real estate values since 2020, officials anticipate this year’s intake might top $6 million.

    Grant outlays are approved by the foundation’s board of trustees, who meet every two months or so to consider applications, Wilkes said. Current trustees include St. Joe CEO Jorge Gonzalez, Senior Vice President Rhea Goff and company General Counsel Lisa Walters.

    Thus far in 2022, the foundation has awarded grants to 75 organizations throughout Bay and Walton Counties. Grants are awarded in four general categories: education, health care, the arts and environmental stewardship. “We’re already up to $2 million [in grant outlays] this year,” Wilkes said. “I have another $2 million in requests before the board.” If the current transfer fee projection holds, the foundation anticipates it will have an additional $2 million available for grants this calendar year.

    Wilkes said she is particularly proud that the St. Joe Community Foundation has been able to assist organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life for local residents.

    Wilkes said the most unusual grant she recalls the foundation approving was five years ago for the Future Farmers of America program at Bozeman High School. The students had raised a prize-winning heifer but had no way to transport the animal to other FFA events around the state. The foundation awarded the school an $11,000 grant for the club to purchase a covered trailer, she said with a smile. (The trailer has since proved quite valuable in other ways; after Hurricane Michael devastated many local farms, it was used to move livestock to less-damaged farms where the animals could be fed and cared for.)

    Wilkes urged local organizations to consider applying for grants if they have a genuine need. The only requirement is that it be currently recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

    St Joe

    How to Apply

    Grant applications can be submitted online. Funding requests are reviewed according to the foundation’s guidelines, and then reviewed for approval by the St. Joe Community Foundation board of trustees at pre-scheduled meetings. The amount granted is dependent upon the availability of foundation funds during the grant year. Organizations with ongoing programs can re-apply for funding annually.

    Grant guidelines: www.joe.com/community-foundation/grant-guidelines

    Online application: www.joe.com/community-foundation

    Other contact information: St. Joe Community Foundation

    Attn: April Wilkes, Executive Director

    130 Richard Jackson Blvd. Suite 200

    Panama City Beach FL 32407

    Email: April.wilkes@joe.com

    Views: 0

  • Living Hope

    Living Hope

    By Michelle Ruschman

    Living HopeCindy Smith has taught child abuse prevention in schools since the 1990s. This earlier work led her to become an advocate, author, speaker and founder of Living Hope for Today, whose mission is twofold: to teach our kids, even as young as age 3, how to deter a potential sex offender through the X Zone Body Safety Program and to remove the shame of abuse. Cindy knows firsthand the damage generational abuse can have on a family and is now working to be part of the solution.

    “I married the wrong man,” she said. “He was physically abusive, and we were only married for three and a half years. When I left him, my children were 18 months and my eldest daughter just turned 3. When she was 3-and-a-half, I found out through things she was saying and doing that he had sexually abused her.

    Living Hope“My daughter, who’s now 40, doesn’t remember the details of what happened and has left my granddaughter alone with my ex-husband. He’s charismatic and manipulative. So, although she knows something happened to her, she says it couldn’t have been him. I have told her, ‘But I’m the one who lived it with you and chose to believe you. I’m the one who was with you through the daily nightmares and acting out. I’m the one that was there when you spoke to the counselor.’ We knew what happened to her.

    “When I found out my 4-year-old granddaughter was being left alone with my ex-husband, I decided I needed to get a book to teach my granddaughter body safety rules.”

    When Cindy looked, however, she was unable to find a resource that would make sense to young children, and she desperately wanted to give her granddaughter a tool she could use.

    With a counselor’s guidance, Cindy wrote her children’s book, “Isabella’s Treasure,” which teaches specific words and actions to deter a potential perpetrator, especially when the potential victim is prompted to keep the abuse a secret. One of the strategies in the book encourages the child not to keep these “sad secrets.” The significance of this comes from studies that reflect that an abuser is deterred when they know a child will tell.

    Now including a music video, the book has become part of the “X Zone Body Safety Program.”

    Living HopeJust as important, Cindy wants to support those who, like herself, live with their history of being sexually abused. In her novel for adults, “Whispered Truth,” Cindy shares her abuse through the characters and storytelling. She understands firsthand how important it is for victims to have an outlet for their stories.

    “For me, it was very freeing,” she said. “When I first started dealing with my repressed memories from childhood, the first people I told were my husband and my pastor. It was freeing to know I could talk about it and people weren’t going to reject me. I felt like I’d done something wrong, and I was full of shame, that something was wrong with me. When you talk about it, and people respond by sharing their own stories, or by offering you support and encouragement, those chains break off. That’s why we need to talk about it.”

    Because child sexual abuse prevention isn’t being taught in most schools, Cindy is passionate about training parents, guardians and professionals how to recognize signs of abuse. If a community decided to make an impact on prevention, the fruit of those efforts would grow exponentially. The results would include better mental health, less addiction, fewer kids in foster care and fewer adults in jail. Cindy Smith will be a guest speaker at the Back to Homeschool Convention at the Crestview Community Center Aug. 13 and 14 from 9 a.m. To 4 p.m. Visit the event’s Facebook page for details. Cindy can also be booked for “Stewards of Children: Darkness to Light” training or other presentations with your school, company, church or organization by calling (513) 505-3690 or emailing clsmith@livinghopefortoday.org. Visit www.livinghopefortoday.org to purchase “Isabella’s Treasure” and “Whispered Truth” and to find additional resources. The best way to support Cindy and her efforts is by connecting her to those who can help children through the education she offers.

    Statistics reflect that many reading this article know a victim or, perhaps, are one. The most common perpetrator is someone who is known by the victim, not a stranger. Cindy’s efforts show that we are not helpless and, together, we can equip our children.

    For additional resources, go to www.livinghopefortoday.org.

    Views: 0

Secret Link